The Sky Above Fortuna
by Tono-Danamaki
Summary: Part two of WDBS.  Stuck in a world Inbetween, I look at the rubble and destruction, I stare at the sky. I hear screaming, crying. Desperate footsteps as they all scramble to run from their fate. Once I was at peace, but now chaos disturbs my sleep.
1. Chapter 1

_**I Do not own Devil May Cry**_

Stuck in a world Inbetween, I look at the rubble and destruction, I stare at the sky. I hear screaming, crying. Desperate footsteps as they all scramble to run from their fate. Once I was at peace, but now chaos disturbs my sleep.

Staring at this world of ruin, the sky above Fortuna, I ask you something simple.

Come with me.

Let me tell you a story.

I have seen many things. I watched him suffer and die. I consoled him when he was weary. When I look back as far as our memories together go, I see him, young, rubbing his eyes. He tugs at me.

"Is Papa in the stars, now?"

I nod, swallowing the terrible crime, forcing it down my throat as I pet his head, "Yes, Elijah…" I say, "He is in the stars now."

Elijah was what his father called him, after his name, Ezekiel. It was a tradition in Fortuna. After I killed him, I renamed the boy. Something befitting to someone bound to become something great.

Something dark. Powerful, something that would follow him forever.

It was perfect.

Nero.

Eleven years passed, and he still kept his name. Even after I did what I did.

**MY THEORY**

**He kept his name, Nero, after I cut off his arm  
as a promise. A promise that he'd kill me one  
day. Take revenge for what I did to him.**

But now, I personally think he should thank me. I was the one who gave him my soul. I was the only reason, in fact, that after ten months of Purgatory; he was standing up in that underground lab again.

**WHO AM I?**

**I am the darkness that lingers.**

**I am the guilt that Dante sees in his reflection.**

**I am the Order's source of power.**

**I am Nero's soul.**

**The Devil he hides within.**

Nero, he was something else to me. There wasn't a day that he didn't cross my mind. Of course, back then I could consider myself very cocky and arrogant and anything else you could squeeze in there. So, of course when he slithered into my mind, I'd shake him back out.

My apologies. I must be boring you with all this talk about me.

I'd really prefer to tell you some stories about Nero in the past.

**MY PERSONAL FAVORITES**

**The story when he saved Kyrie from falling quite a distance.**

**(Credo's forced thank you always makes me laugh)**

**His first dancing lesson**

**(A lot of falling)**

**His first angry run in with Credo**

**(That man will pack a punch to anyone who disrespects his sister)**

**And, of course, the awkward "talk" with Credo**

**(No, it wasn't the sex talk. But it may as well have been,  
with the way Nero was sweating)**

I hope to tell you all these stories, maybe more, as time progresses, mostly because I just get bored with one story. Even this one. Though I probably just don't get so interested in this story because of _him._ And I understand it's just my own stupid bias that's doing it.

So, I ask you, bear with me.

After all.

Dante's my little brother.

I just get so irritated with him.

There are six beginnings to this story, each of them relevant, each of them interesting, each of them overlapping. They all fit onto one die. In fact, I'd enjoy playing this story out as nothing more than a die, excuse me while I roll.

**ROLL ONE**

**Of course, Agnus should be first.**

**I think that's rather fitting, actually.**

Of course, you must be mad to hear that he survived that last encounter between him and Dante. You were sure, weren't you? That it would be it? Personally I think it's funny. Agnus reminds me of a man I knew once. He just wouldn't die. But you shouldn't be too disappointed. You like a story that grips you, right?

But don't think he won. He lost a lot of things, actually. His lab was a disaster, reduced to rubble, almost. He lost the Son of Sparda once again. Twice, he had lost one of the most valuable subjects he could get his greedy hands on. You couldn't expect him to be in a good mood. In fact, the very next day he was in the foulest mood in the history of his hate-filled life.

For a man like Agnus, that was saying a lot. But you could try to reason with him. After all, after years and years of absolute success, he was starting to slip.

The day had come, it was time for him to get ready for his day job-the best and worst doctor of Fortuna Island. As his infirmary was in Headquarters, he was a 'strictly business' type of doctor. You only came to him if you were seriously injured, a knight, or, in some cases, were willing to take that next step in evolution.

His first patient was a six year old girl, she came in with her parents, they were very worried for her. Her arm was bloody, a chimera seed had scratched her.

Agnus was setting up and preparing for the day ahead when he heard them, frantically running into the infirmary. He turned around, his face was contorted into an ugly face of rage. The little girl hid behind her mother's dress as her father explained what happened.

Agnus nodded, he stormed over to the girl, he pushed the mother aside and picked her up by the collar of her frilled dress. He set her on one of the beds, she was screaming and crying as he examined her arm. He blocked her out as he cleaned her wound. The only thing he could think about was what Dante and that woman was doing.

He was so busy thinking about it, that he began to stitch up the wound, forgetting about using a sedative. He honestly thought she was just screaming because she was scared of him. As most children were. He heard her father yelling at him, something about numbing before stitching, Agnus looked at his progress.

"I'm almost done, there's no point in it now." He grumbled. The girl continued to scream. She could have woken all of Headquarters.

Agnus was reminded of the young woman he raped and let live. Kyrie. Her room was going to need to be unlocked soon, before His Holiness' tramp found out that he was still locking her in. He finished the last stitch. He realized he had been a little harsh, and he was dozing off too much.

He took her off the table and handed her a piece of candy, her father picked her up immediately, the three of them stormed away, certainly they were mad and confused about what had happened. They'd probably have the nerve to talk about the "crackpot doctor".

They only got the usual when they squealed. Agnus was the finest doctor in Fortuna, crazy, oddball, evil, or not. Who could replace him if he was fired? Or worse, when that man in red killed him?

Now, that was just the question, wasn't it?

Agnus unlocked Kyrie's door and knocked on it several times, an alarm to let her know it was time for her to wake up.

The day passed on. Agnus' mood wasn't getting any better.

"Come here!" He screamed late in the afternoon. A nine year old boy with a broken leg. Why were there so many children getting injured today? Not that he was feeling any kind of sympathy for them. It annoyed him, honestly, as if you needed to be told, but Agnus _detested_ children.

One thing was for sure: the boy wasn't coming towards him for all the candy in the world. Agnus snarled at him, he turned his back.

"Fine! Bleed to death! You're just one child less in this world!"

You'd think the boy's parents would be supportive and try their hardest to get him to come, but they were dead, a few knights had brought him to the doctor. And they were ready to toss him out if it wasn't for that.

That, being, the girl who walked in from a room inside the infirmary. She was silent, but she kindly beckoned the boy to come to her. He gave a look at Agnus. She understood, and she walked to him, she helped him to the bed. She put her fingers to her lips as Agnus began to work over him. This time he did not forget the sedative.

The boy watched her as she left into the room connected to the infirmary, where she came from. She came back mere seconds later, toting, of all things, a violin. When she played, he hardly took note of his leg, he only looked at her, the serious and concentrated look upon her face as she played a soothing melody.

Later on, the boy was sitting up on his bed, looking at his leg, propped up. He drank some apple juice. Agnus came in to check on him.

"…Was that girl an angel?" He asked wistfully. He felt that she must have been, because one second she was there, and the next second, gone.

Agnus smiled, "Yes, she is an angel. That's why she doesn't speak. If you heard her voice, this entire world would collapse."

Such a cruel sense of humor, really.

**ROLL TWO**

**The music girl.**

You know her. The angel of Nero's life and his afterlife, Kyrie. The night of the meteor shower she prayed for Agnus' death. You can say what you will to that. One of the most harmless girls of Fortuna praying for someone to die, violent, maybe, but many people would say that Agnus is most deserving to die.

The next morning, she waited with anticipation for her brother, someone, anyone, to pound on her door. Demanding to know why it was locked. Hoping they'd break down the door and set her free. Tell her that they found Agnus' body, or that he wasn't anywhere to be seen. Something to tell her that her prayers had been answered, Agnus was dead.

It broke her heart so miserably to hear Agnus unlock her door and pound on it to wake her up. She sat on her bed for a while, thinking to herself about Dante.

Was he dead? Did he lose? Was he…

No, of course not, if he was, Agnus certainly would have stormed into her room and bragged about it.

It had become her job, Agnus' assistant. He didn't use her often, but he did teach her a few things, nevertheless, she wasn't called upon, she was sent into the small room attached to the infirmary, a room Agnus turned into a music room, just for her.

Maybe that was her job, to play the piano for the patients while they moaned in pain and cried. Sometimes she'd come out and play her violin just for them, when Agnus didn't complain about her being in his way. Today he was in such a rage that she didn't want to come out, she didn't even want to know why he was so mad. Then again, she probably already knew why he was so angry.

Dante outsmarted him again.

When she heard him yell about "one less child in the world," she immediately came out, she knew that there were a lot of children injured today. It worried her, unlike Agnus. She knew what to do, before the boy was taken away, she did her best to calm him down. A useful ability.

Agnus didn't lock her room that night, he said that he trusted her, now. If only just a little bit. Kyrie crawled into her bed, it was late when she noticed that she left her violin in the infirmary. She really loved that violin, enough to get out of her bed and walk back to the room.

Just in time for her to watch as Agnus took the boy with the broken leg's pillow, and smother him with it.

Kyrie was paralyzed as she watched the boy squirm and try to scream. His hands reached out to grab something, anything. Agnus scowled as he pushed harder and harder on the boy. Kyrie trembled as she watched him fall limp. Agnus sighed and put the pillow back under his head. He turned and noticed Kyrie, standing there.

She immediately ran away. Agnus called after her, she could hear his footsteps, he wasn't as fast as her, and this could be bad. Kyrie continued to run until she made it to Credo's room. Agnus' heart skipped as she opened the door.

There were two screams. Kyrie was shocked at the sight, probably more shocking than the boy being smothered. She turned red as Credo and Gloria hid themselves under the blankets.

"Kyrie! What are you doing?" Credo snapped.

Kyrie could only stare in wonder. At Credo, then Gloria. Naked and sweating and gasping for air. The door was wide open, Credo demanded her to close it. He wasn't about to get up and do it himself, and neither was Gloria, who looked more ashamed than angered.

Agnus snuck up on her and closed the door, after apologizing to Credo. The door shut. Kyrie could hear the two of them arguing from the other side. Agnus picked her up, he held her under his arm as he brought her to her room. He set her on her bed. He began to laugh.

"Well, now! That was quite a show, wasn't it, Kyrie?" He said, sitting next to her. "I'm so sorry, I should have told you earlier. Credo and Gloria have been intimate lately. Ever since you went missing, I guess they've been waiting for you to get out of the way."

Kyrie trembled, Agnus wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his chest, he stroked her hair lovingly, "There, there, sweetie. I know, it must be terrible knowing that you've just been a burden to everyone. You poor thing…"

Kyrie's heart was sinking, I hate admitting it, but I honestly felt very sorry for this girl. I would have patted her on the head, apologized for all of her suffering, but it wasn't my business to intervene.

She was tucked in, Agnus bid her a goodnight. She still wanted her violin, so, very quickly, she followed after Agnus, he was a little irritated with her behavior as she ran back to the infirmary, she averted her eyes from the dead boy. Agnus sighed as he watched her enter her small music room.

"Kyrie…he was taking up space," He explained, "Fortuna is in too much of a crisis for me to care for children or any other useless people."

Kyrie looked at him in anguish, she held her violin in hand, she looked at him, then at the boy's bed. She took her violin and played a slow dirge. Agnus sighed loudly as he listened to her, he packed the body away.

**ROLL THREE**

**Credo and Gloria**

My, such a mess. These two have such an odd relationship it almost makes me want to gag. I can't understand what Credo ever saw in Gloria, other than a stuck-up attitude and a need to mock things whenever she had the chance.

When Gloria was first brought to Fortuna, she and Credo could not stand one another, every other minute you'd expect them to rip each other's throats out. Their personalities were so opposite, Credo was strict and easily stressed, whilst Gloria was laidback and calm. The one thing they had in common was Credo's sister.

Gloria was hired to take care of her because Sanctus wanted Credo to get back to his duties. After Nero had gone missing, Credo tried to fill in for him, but he was the Supreme General, not his sister's bodyguard, and Sanctus needed him.

No one disobeys His Holiness.

Credo wasn't very happy with the woman who was put in charge of his sister, the way she dressed, the way she acted, it infuriated him. He couldn't stand having that kind of woman around his sister.

But enough about their past, it's their present that's in play right now.

There were many bumps between them at this moment, Credo had been stressed, Gloria had been distant. Silence was the only thing there when they were in the same room. Silence and awkwardness.

Gloria wasn't sure what to do. She was still getting used to having emotions, and to get used to her emotions, she had to get used to them being wrecked. So that night, she knocked on Credo's bed and slowly let herself in.

"Credo?" She asked quietly, Credo was sitting up in his bed. "Credo, may I come in?"

Credo nodded, "It's been a while since we were last together…" He mumbled. "I mean… together….together. You know?"

Gloria sat down next to him, "I know what you mean." She whispered. Their hands slowly slid on top of each other, They gripped the other. Gloria rested her head on Credo's shoulder and sighed, Credo wrapped his arm around her.

"I'm a terrible person…" He mumbled, "I let her down."

"…We both did…" Gloria sobbed, "Credo, I'm so sorry."

"I should be the one who's sorry. You were right…I gave up on her. But I don't know what to do. Agnus said that it would be easier on us both if we didn't see her for a while. Maybe he's right…"

"…Credo?"

"What?"

"…Do you see me…as some sort of…dog?"

"…What?"

"People, they refer to me as…'Credo's Lovesick Puppy'. I just wanted to know how you really feel about me." She held her knees close to her chest as she spoke, looking downwards. "…Do I bother you, Credo?"

Credo stiffened, he couldn't bear to hear such terrible things about Gloria. How long had she been harassed? How long had she been keeping the pain inside?

One thing was for sure: he couldn't keep her as his bodyguard. Not with the feelings he had for her. Could he? What could he do? What was there to do in order to protect her from becoming a subject of gossip? To keep her from being thrown in the battlefield?

"Gloria…I will make these rumors stop." He promised. He turned to her, he held her hands in his, "Marry me."

Gloria was taken aback, "E-excuse me?"

"Give up your duties, Gloria, and marry me." He repeated, "Please. Marry me, Gloria. I promise, I will keep you safe, you don't have to worry about me anymore. I'll protect you. For all that you've done for my family, I shall return the favor and love you and keep you safe. Please."

"…Give up my duties?" She said, shocked, "Give up my duties? I couldn't do that. Why would I want to do that?"

"…Knights are not allowed to have a relationship other than comradeship, it's law."

"…But Credo. You're not a knight anymore." Gloria reminded him quietly, "You're the Vicar of Sparda."

"And the leader of the Order of the Sword. I'm still involved in the activities of the knights."

"…Your word is law now, Credo. I won't give up my duties. Make it so that I don't have to."

"…But Gloria."

"I won't become a housewife, Credo." Gloria said firmly, "I will marry you, but I could never picture myself as some housewife."

"…What if we had children? Who would take care of them?"

Gloria gasped, tears slid down her cheeks, she buried her face in her palms, "That would never happen, Credo." She confessed, "It can never happen. I can mother your sister all I want, but I will never mother a child of my own."

It tore her apart. This man wanted to spend the rest of his days with her, and she couldn't even bear him a child. She continued to sob, until Credo wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. He hushed her.

The comforting soon became a cuddle, then the clothes came off little by little, they were wrapped in sheets as they kissed up on each other and loved each other, they got lost in each other. Such beautiful love had happened, then, with a quick swing, it was ruined as the door flew open.

Credo and Gloria yelled out in shock, they looked as Kyrie stared at them. At first Kyrie was shocked, then she had a look of betrayal on her face. The door was wide open. Credo glared at her.

"Kyrie! Close the door!" He hissed. She continued to stare at them, "Damn it, close the door, Kyrie!"

Agnus snuck behind her, Gloria hid, "I'm so sorry, Your Holiness." He said as he shut the door.

Credo growled, he threw his underwear back on as he mumbled to himself.

Gloria held the blankets close to her naked body. "…My god." She whispered. "She saw us…"

"Damn it, what the hell was she doing running around at night like that?" Credo snapped.

"She looked upset. Maybe we should talk to her."

"Are you mad? What the hell are we supposed to say?"

"I don't know!" Gloria quickly threw her clothes back on, she looked around the hall, "I'm going, now, Credo. I'll see you in the morning."

"Gloria, don't go!"

"…Credo…I don't think I can marry you." She whispered, "I can't do that to Kyrie. I'm sorry."

As soon as Gloria was sure that no one was around, she left Credo's room, slamming the door shut. She walked angrily to her room, feeling ashamed for letting things get so out of hand. She was worried for Kyrie, she couldn't even imagine the betrayal she must have been feeling.

But things got worse.

The next morning, Kyrie was in her little music room, playing her piano, when Credo approached. Agnus wasn't around to tell him not to go near his sister. He tapped her on the back. Kyrie turned, at first she was curious, Credo figured that she thought he was Agnus, but the second she took in that it was her brother, she scowled and returned to her piano.

"Kyrie…" Credo tried, but Kyrie interrupted him by pounding ferociously on the keys, "Kyrie please. Just hear me out." The pounding only got more aggressive, "Kyrie you're going to break that piano! Now if you would please listen to me-" Kyrie stood up, Credo took a step back as she grabbed the music book off the stand, she turned and began to smack Credo repeatedly with it.

Well, at least she wasn't using her nails, like last time.

She continued to smack him, pushing him back every time, he held his hands up to cover himself, he hoped he didn't trip over anything. He felt a large hand on his shoulder, and a yell that was almost deafening.

"KYRIE KNOCK IT OFF! GET IN YOUR ROOM!" Agnus screamed. Credo took in a deep breath and watched as Kyrie left with a scowl. The door to the music room slammed. A somber tune could be heard.

"…Why does she keep attacking me?" Credo gasped, holding his hand to his heart.

"It could be a subconscious feeling, Credo. She must see you, and only think of what she's been through. Such thoughts eat at her mind and tell her that it's your fault, giving her the sudden feeling to attack you."

"B-but, when I went in her room that one night."

"Subconscious, Credo, her attacks are unpredictable. I suggest that if she looks at you in fury, you stay away. Then again, I believe it would be best if you stayed away from her in general. As I have told you before."

Credo clamped his eyes shut, he turned and left the room. Agnus smiled, he scribbled notes onto his clipboard.

There you have it. The first three rolls.

Be patient, I'm almost done here.


	2. Chapter 2

So many stories, so little time…such is the way this works, though you still aren't even halfway through my roll. But before I roll again, there is something I must confront.

Nero did not deserve to die.

I know that you've already had a heaping dose of him and his prattling about death, but sometimes it's good to hear the story from a second source, and I happen to be that source.

Now, I don't sympathize with people often, but Nero just has this soft spot on me. I can't help but feel a pang in my heart when it comes to him. I knew him when he was a boy, and being there, as he was cruelly experimented on until his neck was squeezed and his breathing stopped; tore me apart.

He was a hot headed young man, but he was no troublemaker. Well, not a huge troublemaker, at least.

He never deserved what had happened to him in that castle. Never.

There, I've said it, now back to my roll.

**ROLL FOUR**

**Dante and his Lady**

Quite a fiery one, that Lady. I remember her from long ago, she's up with Dante on my list of people I don't enjoy thinking about, let alone talking about.

As fate would have it, those two had no idea that Agnus was still alive, but it's not like they were opening bottles of champagne and screaming and laughing.

Oh no, those two were "bummed out" as you'd say. Laying in one of the small abandoned houses, Lady was next to Dante, listening to him breathing as he slept, making sure that he was still alive. His breathing sounded almost painful, but at least the blood had stopped flowing. That much was a relief.

Lady sat up and leaned against the wall, she sighed, and looked at the small book poking out from Dante's jacket. Very quietly, she inched for it, she grabbed it, and made sure Dante was still sleeping.

She read.

**JOURNAL ENTRY#14**

_**Ezekiel was claimed old at marriage. Perhaps it's true,  
not that it truly matters, at least he has a son now,  
even if it killed his wife. He has an heir.**_

…_**I often wonder about Kalina. That child of hers,  
Mary Ann.**_

_**Speaking of children, Katrina and Cecil have conceived another  
child, a little girl named Kyrie. She's a very beautiful girl.  
Hopefully she'll be more pleasant than that brat, Credo.**_

_**Already his father has been teaching him basics.**_

_**In a few more years he'll be trained to be a knight.**_

_**And I can already predict that he'll be unbearable.**_

"…You're an asshole." Lady snapped to herself. Then she felt the ground beneath her rumble, she stood and walked outside of the house. The large wall on one of the hills was burning brightly, she shielded her arms as the lion of flames shot out of the wall. She toppled over and gave a scream.

The monster looked right at her, he laughed, Lady did the only thing that seemed reasonable: She pulled out her gun and she fired. The monster only laughed harder as it got closer to her. He mocked her and her firearms.

"Dante!" She screamed, "Dante!" She fell over backwards.

Now if there was something good about Lady: she knew when she was way over her head.

The beast held up its club and prepared to swing at her. She flinched, closed her eyes. Dante came right on time as he, in his devil form, jumped out of the house and grabbed the club, his feet skidded on the ground.

"You're back, you coward." The demon said.

Dante scoffed, he jumped and ran up the arm of the demon, he took his sword and drove it into the beast's eye. It roared in pain and swung it's arm at Dante, swatting him across the small abandoned town. He landed hard on the ground, there was a loud _snap_, he didn't even notice as his sword twirled in the air before landing next to his head.

There was another blaze of fire, then darkness. The demon was gone.

And to think he called Dante a coward.

Lady sighed, a little too soon as she heard Dante's cries of pain, she quickly ran to him. He was cradling his right arm in his other as blood dripped to the ground.

"You reopened your wound…" She gasped. "Oh my god, Dante your arm! Your bone!" She turned away. Lady could act as tough as she wanted, but seeing a bone sticking out of an arm can make you go pretty squeamish. She took in heavy breaths before speaking again, "We…we have to get you a doctor!"

"Yeah right." Dante snarled, "A doctor in this town? They'll only turn me in, Lady."

"We have to do something!"

"What the hell am I supposed to do? All I can do is wait until I can regenerate again!"

"Dante…" She shook her head, "Forget it. Your stubbornness has no god damn bounds."

"I know, I know." Dante sighed, he stood up, with difficulty. "I'm going back in the house, lets just hope that thing doesn't come back, I don't think I could do that a second time…"

Lady watched as Dante hobbled to the house, she followed him and steadied him as he sat down. She had an idea as she laid her guns down by Dante's feet. "They know you, but they don't know me, as long as I'm not armed, I can go in and out of the town. I can get you some medicine. Maybe some pain killers."

Dante's stomach growled loudly, "And some food, if you'd please." He moaned.

Lady shook her head, "Alright, some food, but don't think I'm going to out and order you a pizza."

"No olives, please."

"I said I wasn't going to."

"…Damn. Then at least get me something filling, like…like…Some bread, and a bottle of whiskey, or, or rum. Something."

"Alright, alright, enough of your requests, I only have so much money." Lady sighed. She turned and left, leaving Dante alone. He took in a deep breath, when she was gone, he talked to himself.

"Nero…Nero please tell me I did something right. Nero, let me see you one last time before you've passed on. Or, at least give me a sign that I've done something right."

Lady walked out, she saw that there was a drawbridge, the only way across, and it was lifted up, she groaned, wondering exactly what she was supposed to do. She grumbled to herself, then saw a few people on the other side of the bridge.

She wanted to call out to them, but if she waved her arms and brought attention to herself, people would lower the bridge and check the area, she and Dante would both be found out. She shook her head and returned back to the abandoned town. She entered the house Dante was in.

"Wow, that was fast."

"No, the bridge is up and I can't get across. Sorry, Dante, you might have to wait for a little while longer."

"No rush, I'll survive." Dante sighed.

"Dante."

"What?"

"…I looked in that book."

"…Oh."

"I'm so glad that bastard is dead."

"You and me both."

Ha.

Wrong.

As the two of them were relaxing and enjoying their moment of solace, there was a shockwave that shook them both. Dante clutched his head and cried out in pain. All he could hear was a dreadful moan, a thousand shrieks.

Cries of the Underworld.

**ROLL FIVE**

**Alastor and Ifrit**

Such clowns these two can be. The serious one and the one whose sanity you question. But Sparda trusted them and Mundus detested them. Maybe the great Emperor felt that their powers were too strong, much like how he once felt for Sparda.

But that's all off-topic and ancient history.

The two of them had huddled under a few trees, talking to each other about a few things here and there, things that are irrelevant and things that I would prefer to not repeat.

Alastor said the first thing that had any importance to my story, a little insight about the She-Viper. She couldn't bear to watch her children get killed. The same could go for Alastor. He had children of his own. Not children like Sparda had, more like the children the Jungle Dragon spawned, legion, if you will.

"So," Alastor said, "What we should do, is kill a few seeds right in front of her, piss her off so that she'll attack, then you burn her to a crisp, and job is done, we team up with Dante in that creepy ass castle out there in the distance." He was quiet as he began tracing circles in the dirt, "…I sure hope Lady's okay." He mumbled.

Ifrit snickered, "Feeling lovesick?"

Alastor turned red, "N-no! I'm just worried, you know, that she might get hurt or something. And I don't want that to happen because…you know…"

"Because you think she's pretty?" Ifrit teased.

A long sigh, then Alastor spoke, "Yeah…I mean no! No, no, no! Not at all!"

"You're a bad liar."

Ifrit could only torment Alastor for so much longer, soon the two of them were clutching their heads and groaning in pain. The forest shook, demons began to scream at the sky. They stirred and scampered confusedly, attacking each other, no reason. Claws slashing and biting and tearing.

The noise stopped, Alastor and Ifrit were breathing heavily. They looked up over the mountains.

"What the hell was that?" Ifrit snapped.

"I don't know…but, I think it was coming from over the mountains."

"You're not suggesting we go towards the source, do you?"

"Well, it might be bad to leave the forest with her running around, but, we might want to check it out, you know? See if it may be something bigger than the She-Viper, just make sure."

Ifrit sighed, "Well…you might be right. If those noises came from the Underworld, then this could be bad."

"So, up the mountains we go?"

Ifrit nodded, Alastor stood, and the two of them walked out of the forest, torching and jolting anything in their path. They made it to the place where they met the mute choirgirl, and saw a few bluffs, and they began their climb.

Just above, they looked around at the view, particularly the large white building in the distance, down below, they could see the She-Viper diving in and out of the trees. Though now was not the time for them to sit and watch the forest, behind them, there was a large cavern.

"I hear rushing water coming from inside there," Alastor said, "hope it's not wet in there."

"Only one way to find out." Ifrit said as he walked inside, "The floor's dry, come on."

"Are you sure? You know I don't want to shock you or something."

"Yeah, and I don't want to extinguish, we're in the same boat here, now let's go."

Alastor sighed, but he followed after Ifrit as they walked through the cavern, they found several abandoned boxes and lanterns, wondering what they were for and why they were here. At the end of the cavern, they saw what the rushing water was. A waterfall blocking the way. The two of them groaned.

"Well, that's the end of the road, huh, Al?"

"Wait a second." Alastor exclaimed, he squinted his eyes as he looked through the rushing water, "I…I think I can see something."

"Really?" Ifrit followed suit, "Huh, wonder what that is."

"It's a little blurry, but I'm sure that it's some sort of castle."

"Do you think this is where Choirgirl came from?"

"It has to be, I can't think of anywhere else she could have been."

"Then Dante must be in here somewhere, I hope he's okay."

As the two of them talked, they could hear a loud alarm coming from the other side of the waterfall, there were some loud crashing sounds, and suddenly the waterfall stopped flowing, they could see the castle clearly, as well as the bridge that stretched out from where they were standing.

"What the hell are those things?" Alastor growled, pointing at the large dogs coming for them.

"I don't know; they're definitely not demons."

The basilisks attacked, but all it took was one punch from Ifrit to shoo them away, as the one basilisk fell, it dissolved, a faint scream could be heard as a light flew out of it.

"My god." Alastor gasped, "That was a human soul, that thing had a soul stuck in it."

"What a terrible way for someone to go."

"Hey look, the bridge is pulling back in, we'd better back up."

Soon enough, the waterfall was rushing down again, but not for long as the alarm went off again, the waterfall was blocked once again. Alastor and Ifrit looked around in absolute confusion.

"What is going on? Who's making the bridge come back and fourth?"

"Hold on." Ifrit whispered, "Someone's coming…"

**ROLL SIX**

**The final roll to this beginning,**

**The moment you all have been waiting for.**

I know, I'm killing you with such suspense, I won't even tell you whose roll this is. Though by now I'd expect it to be pretty obvious. He left me this job to tell his story. You know him, don't pretend you don't.

That's right, say it louder, but not too loud, you wouldn't want to disturb others.

He found himself confused and covered in rubble. He coughed, choked, and coughed again. He crawled out from over the pile of rock and dust and looked around. He was full of fear but somehow felt _relieved_. There were no memories of a ghost, no Dante, no tormented Kyrie, no Gloria. Nothing.

All he could remember were those horrible last twelve days before waking up here. Such confusion stirred his mind and made him dizzy. He looked around, the slightest sound made him jump. He stood on his feet and brushed dust from his jacket.

A shimmer of gold on his hand. He froze, he stared at his palm where the chain was wrapped around rather nicely. He examined the beautiful necklace in horror. The feathers, the pink crystal.

"How?" He mumbled to himself, "Did you get your hands on this, you bastard?" He took it off his palm and slid it into his inside pocket, hoping not to lose it, he looked around the room and saw his sword, hanging from the wall, but his gun was nowhere in sight.

His guess was that Agnus must have destroyed it, seeing as he used it in his attempted escape. The gun was empty anyway, there was no need for it now. He wasn't about to go around the castle and look for it, right now, his escape was far more important to him as he grabbed his sword and bolted out of the room. He crawled through some rubble leading out.

As he crawled, he saw the wheel, the controls to the bridge, he examined it for a while, then began to turn it. An alarm blared, making him jumpy, he looked around and saw the bridge jutting out, there were a few Basilisks at the bridge, standing guard, howling and barking.

The bridge retracted, he looked at his arm, his claw, and turned the wheel one more time. As the bridge connected, he reached out for it, and the phantom within his arm stretched out and grabbed the bridge, bringing him forward with Hell-Bound speed. He clutched onto the bridge and hoisted himself up. The bridge began to disconnect again.

A long sigh as he trudged forward, the waterfall flowed behind him, and he continued on through the cavern, he walked out to the bluffs and saw the moon, shining brightly and illuminating the forest and Headquarters.

"Kyrie…" He whispered, "I'm coming home."

"Hold it!"

He gasped, and turned around in fear as two strange figures approached, he fell over.

"You hold it, Ifrit." The taller one said, holding his hand out, "You okay? You friendly?"

"Um, are you?"

"Good question. Ifrit, are we friendly?"

"I don't know, the kid gives me bad vibes…"

"Me too, but…Never mind, we're friendly as long as you're friendly, ok?"

"Ok…"

"You got a name?"

"…Nero. You?"

"Alastor, over there's Ifrit."

"…You two aren't human."

Ifrit chuckled, "Yeah, well, neither are you."

Nero shook his head, "That's not exactly my…"

"Kid, we're not gonna hurt you." Alastor said calmly, "You can trust us."

"No I can't." Nero hissed, "I'm not trusting anyone."

"You came from that castle, right? So, you must have been though a lot. Right?"

"You have no idea, so shut it."

Alastor turned and took Ifrit with him, they began to whisper in low voices, Nero saw his chance, and jumped off the cliff. He could hear them yelling at him, but he didn't care, he wasn't going to trust anyone, especially not two demons. He only had one thing on his mind.

Return to Headquarters, go to Sanctus, hunt down Agnus, get him arrested. Maybe even kill him with his own hands. For all the evils Agnus had committed, for all the terror Nero had witnessed, it was time for some revenge.

And then Kyrie, find Kyrie and hold her again.

Oh what a shock Nero was going to be in when he found out the truth.

Allow me to take you back a few years, when there was a one-armed boy struggling to fit in. He pinned his empty sleeve to his chest and tried his hardest to ignore the stares that he still received from the people of Fortuna.

He was not the strongest.

He was not the fastest.

His eyes were tired, almost hidden behind thick-rimmed glasses that only invoked his tormentors.

People were curious as to why this boy was so determined to become a knight, he could barely hold a sword steady, he had to build up strength, get used to take on a demon with one arm.

Everyone was certain that he'd die whenever there was a demon nearby.

But he was an expert at surviving. It almost pained His Holiness to inform families that their brilliant son had died, while somehow, that dead weight Nero was still standing.

His ability to survive made him a target for other knights, he would be beaten almost senseless if he was caught. For a while he'd let himself get caught, but there were days when he'd hide in his room, or climb a tree (how he did it with one arm is beyond me) for safety.

As the sun was setting one day, he was perched in a tree, he waited for those knights to stop looking for him, so that he would be able to get down and go home. His stomach was growling loudly, his throat was dry and cracked.

There was a rustle in the leaves, he clutched the trunk of the tree with his one hand, hardly anticipating anyone coming after him up here.

**A SURPRISE VISITOR**

**Her auburn hair was decorated with leaves**

**Her face was scratched with worry.**

**She steadied herself on the branch and looked at Nero.**

"What are you doing?" She asked quietly.

Nero wasn't sure if it was the dryness of his mouth or the fact that it was Credo's sister that kept him from replying. His stomach growled again. He shook his head.

"Nero, right?" She spoke with kindness, curiosity to know him, to rediscover him.

Nero gulped and nodded, a lump in his throat. He twiddled his fingers nervously.

"I'm Kyrie…" She said, he nodded.

"I…I know." He choked, "You're…you're Credo's sister."

"…You're not afraid of him, are you?"

Nero's eyes widened, "You're kidding, right? Have you…have you ever heard him yell?"

She nodded, "He's a pushover, really."

"…Maybe to you."

"Well, he _can_ be nice, you know."

"…I've only seen it happen once."

Kyrie took in a deep breath, then spoke, "I'm sorry."

"Excuse me?"

"For that one night…for staring at your arm. I'm sorry. It was…"

"No, I should be sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you like that."

They were quiet as they stared at each other, Nero bit his lip, Kyrie fidgeted with her fingers, the sun was beginning to sink away into the ocean. The air grew colder and wrapped around them.

Nero's stomach growled again.

"…We should head inside…" Kyrie said, "…Do you want to eat with me, Nero?"

The lump in Nero's throat expanded, it laughed at him as he struggled to speak. He was too nervous to even nod. He coughed the word out: yes. As the air dropped in temperature, Nero felt so warm, he was glad that it was dark. He hoped it was too dark for Kyrie to see the redness in his face.

She began to crawl off the tree, the branch she stepped on to get down cracked, her foot slipped.

Nero was fast. He jumped down after her and grabbed her, he rolled over so that he could take the hard blow of the cold dirt as they smacked against the earth. Nero's head was buzzing, there were two Kyrie's sitting on top of him as he struggled to focus. He didn't pay attention to what she was saying, the branch that broke beneath her feet was coming to finish it's job as it wobbled and snapped off.

Flying for them like a missile, Nero quickly rolled on top of Kyrie as the branch smacked against him. Everything was spinning, it took Nero a while to understand that his glasses had fallen off when he dove off the tree.

"Nero…" Kyrie almost squeaked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…" Nero said, blinking, trying to keep her in focus. "I think."

"NERO!"

Nero cringed. "…No, I'm not feeling too good." Kyrie shrieked as Nero was grabbed by the back of his collar and hoisted up. He was tossed to the ground.

It was him.

Kyrie's brother.

Nero struggled to get up, he was kicked back down. Kyrie was begging Credo to stop, trying to explain what had happened.

But Credo would not listen. His rage kept him from listening as he pulled Nero to his feet and began to yell.

"How dare you! You shameless, disrespectful little-"

"Credo!" Kyrie screamed, "Leave him alone!"

Credo looked over at Kyrie and dropped Nero, "What?"

"It's not what you think, Credo, please, leave Nero alone."

"What are you talking about?"

"I was in the tree, with Nero, and we were about to climb down when the branch broke, Nero jumped off and caught me, then rolled over so that the falling branch would hit him, not me."

Credo looked at the broken branch on the ground, Nero struggled to get up, feeling around for his glasses in the darkness as Credo and Kyrie spoke.

Nero's eyes were too blurry to make out that Credo was rather embarrassed about his misunderstanding. He helped Nero to his feet and cleared his throat.

"It seems…I was mistaken. I'm…sorry." Credo spoke, not even making eye contact.

"What else?" Kyrie said, nudging Credo.

He clenched his teeth, "…Thank you…" He growled.

"You're…welcome?" Nero said, blinking his eyes, trying to get them in focus.

Credo stormed away. Yelling at them to hurry up, it was getting dark. Nero rubbed his eyes and nodded, he fell to his hands and knees, looking for his glasses, as he padded his hand through the grass and the dirt, he felt a small, smooth hand with long slender fingers press on top of his hand.

As the hand lifted, Kyrie slowly put Nero's glasses back on his face. The lenses were a bit smudgy, but he could still see better. Kyrie smiled, he gave a small smile as well.

"…Pushover." Nero whispered.

Kyrie nodded. "Pushover."

* * *

_**Hey everyone, thanks for all the support! But I want you to know that there might be some delay depending on how the move goes. Wish me luck?**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3

It was dark as Nero ran through the forest, he could barely see, he trudged through, he only thought of Kyrie, Agnus, Sanctus. The truth had to get out; he was the one person who survived Fortuna Castle.

Not exactly, there are a few nominees for that position,

**AND THE WINNER IS**

**Lady, for surviving with:  
****  
Little injuries**

**Perfect sanity**

**And independence.**

He continued to run, but tripped on a vine, he landed hard on the ground, he shivered, he trembled, he took in deep breaths. Nero began to panic. He sat up and saw that his ankle was tangled, he struggled to free himself, his breathing was frantic, he cried out, freaked out, and only wore himself out. He lied down on his back and crossed his arms over his eyes.

"God, please don't do this to me." He prayed desperately.

It was two in the morning when Kyrie woke up in a cold sweat, she could hear the devil's cry, she covered her ears, she walked out of her room and tiptoed around Headquarters, her hand was on her heart as the demons continued to cry.

"What are you doing up?"

Kyrie wasn't at all surprised to see Agnus just around the corner, his clipboard in hand as he eyed her. She breathed heavily and pointed towards the forest. Agnus nodded, "Yes, they seemed to have woken up a few people this morning." He laughed, "Their cries could wake the dead, don't you think?"

Kyrie stared at the floor, learning to cope with Agnus' cold humor. He patted her on the back and escorted her back to her room, the screams had stopped by then, and he closed the door, letting her sleep.

Their cries could wake the dead.

Such humor makes me smile.

The next morning, Credo was the one in a foul mood. It had probably been the worst night of his life. Of course, so you know, this was the same exact morning where Kyrie had beaten him with the music book, so don't mind me skipping a little bit forward.

Yes, really a bad morning for poor Credo, a terrible night that had nearly no sleep for him, first, Gloria refused to marry him, then those demons in the forest, screaming and screaming and screaming. All the coffee in the world was not enough to calm him down and make him relax.

He wouldn't look at Gloria, she wouldn't look at him (this pleased Agnus greatly), and then there was Kyrie, who had grown so unbearable that he wouldn't even let himself think of her.

Later that day, Kyrie went missing temporarily. Where did she go? For the love of god it isn't rocket science. She went to her one last place of solace, no, not the music room.

Nero's room. She found it had been cleaned since the last time she saw it. Sitting on his pillow, she saw the revolver, the Blue Rose. Silently she began to look through Nero's sock drawer, and lo and behold, there were at least five speed loaders of bullets. She grabbed them all, and walked over to Nero's bed. She grabbed her violin case and put it on her lap. She loaded the revolver, and tucked it into the pocket on the top of the case; she set the bullets snugly under her violin.

"Where are you?"

Kyrie closed the violin case quietly as Agnus walked in, he sighed as he found her, "What are you doing in here? You gave me a fright, Kyrie; don't leave like that ever again."

She nodded, staring at her violin case, Agnus stood over her. She stood up, holding the violin case in one hand, the Blue Rose made it rather heavy, but it didn't matter, she was now safe. She had Nero's gun, and it was loaded.

No one suspected her.

Agnus had no idea that she was toting a musical instrument and a deadly weapon, and he had no clue that sooner or later she was going to have that moment when she got to use it on him.

Her trigger finger was itchy. A small smile was on her lips as Agnus led her back into the infirmary. He took note of her tired eyes. The way she rubbed them and tried hard not to yawn, especially not in front of him. He rubbed her on the back lightly as she sat down at her piano, staring at the keys.

The infirmary was a long, rectangular room, eighteen beds lined up neatly, they usually weren't filled up, not for a long time, at least. The room split one eighth at the end, another room , Agnus and Kyrie both used it, on one end was Kyrie's end, the piano and a shelf that was empty. Agnus' side had his desk, his supply cabinets, and a simple drawer that he never kept tidy. On the top of his desk sat papers that made Kyrie shiver.

"You look like you need some rest." Agnus said quietly, "…I don't believe it was only those demons that kept you up last night."

It's probably not my place to say so, but I think Agnus was a little too confident in himself. He was most definitely underestimating the girl.

One thing I learned in life: Never underestimate your enemy. I'd say that you could underestimate them when they were dead, but Nero would be a contradiction to that. Or maybe just an exception.

The forest had calmed down since then. The dew made the entire forest glisten and shine. Nero was still stuck on the vine, he had fallen asleep there, perhaps he moved too fast, maybe his body was still weak. Either way, he didn't stay stuck on that vine for very long.

He woke up in a different part of the forest, nothing was clinging to his leg, but that didn't mean much to him. When he opened his eyes, he could see two pairs of feet next to him. Shadows fell around him, and voices hugged his ears.

**THE WORST THING TO HEAR  
WHEN YOU WAKE UP**

"**We should kill him, before he kills us."**

This single sentence alerted Nero immediately, he scrambled up from the ground, staring up at the two demons, the ones from the cave. The one with black hair put his hand to his face.

"Ifrit!" He said, "Why do you have to talk so _loud_?"

The red-haired one didn't say anything, but quickly grabbed Nero's legs, keeping him from going anywhere. Nero kicked at him, trying to get him off, But Ifrit was stronger, he flipped Nero to his stomach and put one foot on his back.

"Get off me!" Nero yelled, "Let me go!"

"Why?"

"Ifrit!" Alastor hissed, "Would you stop being so mean to him? I mean, look at the little guy, he's harmless."

"Harmless?" Ifrit scoffed, "You call that sword on his back harmless? Or that arm?"

"Just because he looks dangerous doesn't mean he is dangerous."

Nero attempted a push-up, anything to get this thing off him, but he was too heavy. He clawed at the dirt, his right arm reached out for anything to help him. Ifrit's other foot stamped on his arm. Nero yelled out.

"Ifrit. You're hurting him! What did the kid ever do to you?"

"Nothing, but I'm not taking any chances."

"Let me go," Nero growled, "I have to get to Headquarters!"

"Interesting."

"What's so interesting about that?"

"You're a demon, but you're a Holy Knight?"

"I wasn't born a demon!"

It was that one sentence that made Ifrit lift his feet away from Nero. He crawled to his feet and faced the two. He was sweating and breathing heavily from the struggle to get away. The two demons were looking at him in awe.

"How are you not born a demon?" Ifrit asked with a raised eyebrow.

Nero took in a breath, "What do you care? I have to go to Headquarters."

"What's the rush?"

"Are you kidding me?" Nero snapped, "I have to get there, point out a madman, and let everyone know that I survived Fortuna Castle!" He turned and looked out at Headquarters. "I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill that bastard. He's not getting away from me, I promise that."

"You seem angry." Alastor said, "What happened?"

"I was tortured and experimented on! In that very castle over there! And the psychopath that did it to me is an Order official! I have to stop him before this all gets out of hand!"

Alastor shrugged, "Good luck with that. From the situations going on lately, I think things have already gotten out of hand."

"What are you talking about? Forget it." Nero snapped, turning around, "I have to see His Holiness."

"His Holiness is dead, kid." Ifrit said. Nero froze, he turned to them in shock, "He was shot in the face by an assassin."

"How do you know this?"

Ifrit shrugged, "Simple. We were a part of it."

Nero glared. He walked towards Ifrit, enraged. "You son of a-"

"Stop, stop, stop!" Alastor cried, getting in between them. "It's not what you think! Ifrit! You have to stop being so…careless! Let me do the talking right now, okay?" Alastor sighed and looked at Nero, "Listen, kid, it wasn't what it looks. Dante killed Sanctus to throw them all off. He knew the man was plotting something."

"How can His Holiness plot something so bad that he deserved to get shot in the face for it?" Nero yelled, "Why don't you explain that to me, you spiky-haired freak!"

"Hey! The girls go crazy for this hairstyle!" Alastor coughed once, and scratched his nose, "N-not that it matters right now. Listen. The Order of the Sword stole something very important from Dante, and bribed him to come and get it. So he did. He got it on, and he shot Sanctus."

"Who the hell is Dante?" Nero snapped, "And why did he shoot His Holiness when someone else stole from him?"

"Because, His Holiness, he sent those knights in to steal it, in order to lure Dante in. Dante figured that if he went straight for the object that was stolen, he'd be walking right into a trap. So instead, he killed Sanctus to throw them all off."

Ifrit smirked, "And to show them that he wasn't to be fucked with."

"Who the hell is Dante!" Nero groaned.

"Dante…" Alastor began, "Well, Dante is a…didn't you meet him in the castle? I think he was in there too."

Nero shook his head, "I didn't see anyone else."

"There was no girl?"

Nero's heart skipped, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well, not more than a few days ago, a girl came out of the castle. She was kind of short. Nice, red hair, and brown eyes."

"…What did she say her name was?" Nero gasped, his voice breaking.

Ifrit shook his head, "She didn't speak. She wrote down a nickname, Choirgirl."

"She was…covered in blood. Well, not covered, covered, but her dress had a huge bloodstain down the front. And her arm was bleeding, and she had some bruises on her face."

"Whoa, Al. Stop talking, the kid's looking a little green."

"Kyrie." Nero mumbled, clutching the necklace. His heart was beating in his throat as sweat dripped down his face. "How did she get in there…?" He put his hand to his head, "How did she…get _out_?" He stared at Alastor and Ifrit in horror, "What…what's the date, today?"

"Um…August twelfth."

"W-what?"

"August twelfth, two thousand eleven."

**THE BIG SHOCKER**

**Nero went missing in November.**

**He came to a horrifying realization.**

**It had been more than just twelve days.**

**He'd been "sleeping" longer than he thought.**

This sudden realization caused everything to go blurry. And sideways. He could hear Alastor and Ifrit shouting out to him before everything went black.

Now, if you would please avert your attention from this, I will show you something.

**THE BLACK ANGEL PRESENTS**

**A nightmare of Fortuna.**

Imagine you are running, running through the cryptic and bleeding hallways of Fortuna Castle, you see a light, the fabled Ghost of Fortuna, and you chase aimlessly after him. You call out his name as you ascend the spiral stairs, you break through the master bedroom, you ignore the tombstones of the graveyard and proceed through the courtyard. You run through the upper level of the Grand Hall, he is just in reach. You stretch your hand to grasp him, you open the last door before reaching him. But the Ghost of Fortuna is not behind that last door. Instead, you see a dark smile and the glimmer of a monocle, a large arm reaches out and grabs you. A cruel laugh echoes in your ears still as you wake up in a terrified sweat.

Perhaps I'm not a good story-teller, but the very thought of a man like Agnus on top of you could send shivers down your spine. Try having that nightmare happen every night, better yet, try having it still there when you awoke.

Welcome to the life of the mute choirgirl.

She had fallen asleep in the music room, her head was rested on the piano (the case was closed), and a vulture was watching over her. He watched as she twitched and reached her arms out. He very gently put his hands on her shoulders, and kissed her on the cheek.

You must be wondering exactly why Agnus was so lustful for Kyrie, it is sick, and wrong, and can make your insides churn. But the very point was that Kyrie, with her quiet and innocent form, reminded Agnus very much of his wife. His pure and beautiful wife, who was a quiet woman, easily scared, pure. It was what attracted Agnus to her in the first place.

He loved having insecurities and innocence to prey on.

There was a knock on the infirmary door, and Kyrie jerked awake, she jumped again once she saw Agnus hovering over her. He turned and left the music room to greet the one who had knocked.

"What do you want?" He snarled.

The young man standing at the door trembled, but pointed to his bleeding arm. "I…I just need to get my arm checked, Dr. Emerson said that you were the best and that you would treat me because, I'm a knight and all. So…You _are _Dr. Agnus Dei, right?"

Agnus grimaced at him, and pulled him into the infirmary, closing the door behind him, "I hope you know that your knocking was very loud and almost woke my patients."

"I…I'm sorry!"

"Keep your voice down!" Agnus hissed, sitting the boy down on one of his beds. Kyrie opened the door of the music room to get a look at him. He was at least nineteen years old, when he took off his hood, she could see his deep brown hair falling over his face. He looked up and stared right at her. Surprised, Kyrie shut the door.

"H-hey, isn't that Kyrie? The General's sister? I-I mean, His Holiness. What's she doing here?"

"Yes it is, and it's none of your business why she's here." Agnus paused, he looked very closely at the boy. "Who are you, anyway? I don't think I've seen you before."

"Uh, well. I'm Aaron. Aaron White."

"…Abel's son…" Agnus growled, "Didn't you have a twin brother?"

"Asher? Oh, yeah. He, um…died. In Fortuna Castle. My dad did, too." Aaron sighed, "That's why, I refused when they gave me the orders to Fortuna Castle, I told them I had to care for my mother and sisters. I was lucky that they understood."

Agnus looked at Aaron's wound, and scoffed, "What the hell did you do to get this?"

"I…fell off a roof." Aaron explained nervously, "I was fixing it, for a friend, and I just slipped, I didn't fall far, but I still somehow managed to scrape my arm pretty bad." He gave a small laugh, but stopped the second he saw Agnus' angered face. "Sorry."

"Just stop talking." Agnus snapped, standing, "That…is nothing. Kyrie!"

She opened the door nervously, Agnus pointed at the boy, she nodded, and walked out of the room and stood before the two of them. Agnus turned to leave, claiming that he had something to take care of. Aaron and Kyrie were alone.

"…That's guy's a jerk." Aaron laughed, Kyrie nodded, "So, what are you doing in here? Are you working for him, or something?"

Kyrie nodded, she looked at Aaron's wound, she rolled her eyes and sighed. She walked over to Agnus' drawers and pulled out a needle and thread, and a bottle of anesthetic. Cautiously she approached him, she showed him the instruments.

"I thought he said it was nothing?" Aaron gulped.

Kyrie shrugged. Though I've come to figure that Agnus had said it was "nothing" simply because he had dealt with far more serious injuries. Aaron turned away as she began to numb his arm and sew it up. He cringed a little bit with every tug.

"So, I hear you're the one person who…you know…survived Fortuna Castle. I'm…happy for you, you know. I mean. No one has ever gotten out. But…I…I guess you really don't like thinking about that, do you?"

Kyrie slowly nodded her head as she continued stitching up his wound.

"…Why are you doing this? I mean. Why are you here? As his…assistant? I never really thought of you as a medical person. Do you like this kind of work?"

Kyrie shook her head. Aaron's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.

"Then…why are you doing it?"

Kyrie sighed, she bore her nails at him, he immediately remembered the rumor about how Kyrie attacked her brother. "I…see. His Holiness…signed you over to him? And…the doctor made you take this profession?"

Kyrie nodded, she trembled as she remembered the day Agnus showed her those papers, they were there to remind her that she was no longer safe. Aaron sighed, "That must be terrible, I mean, this guy's a jerk, and I heard rumors on my way here, you know, about how much of a…um…prick, so they say, he can be. It must be horrible…being his…ward and all." Aaron suddenly laughed, "Hey! You're a hospital ward! Get it?" He laughed again. Kyrie just stared at him, "Um, you know, ward, is a room in a hospital, and you're his ward, and you…work in an infirmary, hospital? Ward?"

Kyrie thought of it, but could not think of it as a joke. Anything about Agnus could never be anything to laugh at. She finished the stitching and put the tools away. Aaron hopped off the table and cautiously approached her.

"Kyrie, I'm so sorry. That was rude of me, I mean, it must be hard on you knowing that your brother dropped you like a rock just because of…the incident."

Kyrie turned and looked at him, she looked away and walked into her music room, Aaron followed.

"Please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, I was just trying to make small talk, you know, maybe cheer you up or something. Y-you must have been through a lot in Fortuna Castle, and from the looks of it, the doctor doesn't give a damn about you."

Kyrie paused, she turned and looked at Aaron in awe. So far, he was the first one, since Gloria, to try and make an attempt to reach her. An attempt to care.

"Kyrie…what's it like? Being…without a voice?"

Her heart beat so quickly as he spoke those words, those kind words that made her feel…_human_. With tears in her eyes, she walked over to Aaron and held onto him. A thank you for treating her, not like a tool, a disease, or a threat, but an actual human. She felt alive again.

Agnus walked in just in time to see the two of them, he coughed loudly. Kyrie immediately released Aaron as Agnus glared at him.

"Get out of my infirmary." He snapped. Aaron wasted no time, as he could tell that the doctor was much larger than him (and he was a lousy knight, might I add). Agnus waited until the boy was gone before he advanced on Kyrie. "And you, you should be ashamed of yourself, you little whore." He snarled before slamming the door to the music room shut, leaving her alone.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Okay guys, since I'm in one spot for now, I'm going to be uploading on Saturdays now._**

* * *

He was sleeping, curled up in a tiny ball as he whimpered strange things. He mumbled "Kyrie" a few times, Alastor and Ifrit watched as this boy tossed and turned in his sleep. They looked at each other, then back to him.

"This kid's not dangerous." Alastor said firmly, "But he's been through a lot, from what I can tell. That castle out there…what the hell do you think goes on in there?"

"Nothing pleasant, I can tell you that," Ifrit replied, "Look at how Choirgirl came out. So much blood, no voice…"

"…Do you think Kyrie…is Choirgirl?"

"She could be. But the thing is this: Do you remember the ghost? You know, the spirit pressing against Purgatory? The revolver…she said it was his…and now, these cries from the Underworld…then suddenly this kid shows up. Do you think there's any connection?"

"You know what else? Where the hell is Dante if he was in there, too? And this kid…he looks just like Dante! Well, not exactly like him…"

Ifrit nodded, "I can smell Sparda's blood in his veins…and…_his_." he stood and looked at the boy, he examined his red and blue claw, "And this arm…"

"Well, maybe he'll tell us exactly what happened when he wakes up. You stop being so hostile to him, and maybe we might be able to sit him down and have a civilized talk with him. So when he wakes up, that means you don't attack him, ok?"

"Oh, shut up." Ifrit growled.

"Hey, I'm just saying, that's what made him…you know…jumpy."

It didn't matter that the two of them tried to not be hostile, Nero was still skeptical to see the two of them there, looking at him. He stood up, Alastor stood with him, Ifrit stayed sitting, as he would make the situation worse.

"Don't." Alastor said, "We've been hitting it off all wrong, we're not your enemies. We're here to help you, I'm Alastor, that's Ifrit…and…you're Nero, right?"

"What do you want with me?" Nero demanded, "Leave me alone! I have to get to Headquarters! I told you!"

"We know, but we just want to…"

"Want to what? Leave me alone!"

Nero turned to leave, he brushed past a bush, and saw the small leaf demon, prepared to pounce. As it leapt, Nero caught it, and without even a second thought, he tore it in half.

Ifrit and Alastor looked in amazement, they looked at each other; Ifrit smiled.

"This kid could be useful…"

Nero turned to face the two of them, Ifrit was smiling in a way that made Nero uncomfortable. He looked at the wilting plant, then back at them. "It was trying to bite my god damn face off! What was I supposed to do?"

Alastor laughed, "That was…pretty cool."

Nero scoffed, "Not that impressive."

Ifrit walked up to Nero, who backed away, the demon placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, it burned a little bit, as though this demon was suffering from some terrible fever. "We'll get you to Headquarters, but first, you should help us with something."

Nero yanked Ifrit's hand away, "And just why should I do that?" He snapped, "I don't see any reason to stick around with you two."

"Really? Because I see a few. We saved you from that tangled vine, which, for your information, was actually a carnivorous plant that was going to eat you. That, and, if you go straight for Headquarters, you just might get ambushed."

"By what, dare I ask?"

"In these conditions I don't think you'd want to know." He sighed, "But, alright, you can go on and head home…unaware…confused, lost. You know. But if you hear anything about children, you might want to run." Ifrit sighed and turned to Alastor. "Come on, Al, we'd better leave him alone, he doesn't want any company…you know…to watch his back."

Alastor nodded and left with Ifrit. None of them looked back at the seventeen year old boy, and it may have been a good thing, as they would have seen the suddenly terrified look on the poor boy's face. He watched in awe as they left. He couldn't believe that after all they had done to keep him still, that they left him, just like that.

There was a rustle in the bushes and vines next to him, he took in a deep breath, he looked around. There was another rustle, causing his heart to skip. He took in a deep breath. After all, the forest had certainly changed since the last time he was here, it was a lot more vegetated and dangerous than it used to be.

He felt something beneath his feet, a large, blue light blinded him, he saw tentacles surrounding him, he gasped, and before they could close on him, he jumped out of the way, rolling on the dirt, he picked himself up quickly and ran after the two devils.

He had fallen for their trap. They smirked at each other as Nero staggered and tried to keep up with them, he called them out, asking them to stop. They paused and turned to him as he fell to his knees and gasped for breath.

"What's the matter?" Ifrit said, "Can't brave the forest, Mr. Devil-Knight?"

"I thought you wanted us to leave you alone?" Alastor followed, shrugging.

Nero looked at the two of them in disbelief, "You have to be kidding me!" He gasped, "You two…were just playing me! I should have known with the way you left without a second thought…you two...are worse than my boss…"

"Your boss?" Ifrit questioned, "You mean your commanding officer?" He shrugged, "He might not even be alive."

Nero stood up, "Bullshit, Credo's too damn stubborn to up and die."

"Are you sure?"

"You have no idea." Nero growled. He paused and sighed, reminiscing about his superior. He wondered just how Credo would react to Nero's return, he wondered how Credo must have reacted when he found out that His Holiness was dead. He was glad that he wasn't around, Credo must've been in a terrifying rage. "I have to get to Headquarters as soon as possible, so you two had better tell me exactly what you want so that I can get this damn thing over with."

"You're a mouthy one." Ifrit snapped, "Maybe we should keep an extra close eye on you."

Nero smirked at Ifrit, "Fine by me." and there was a swift movement, Ifrit could feel the boy's hard scales smash against his eye socket. He stumbled to the ground, clutching his face, "Is that too close? Sorry…"

Ifrit scrambled up and lunged for Nero, but Alastor positioned himself between the two of them, his fingers lit with sparks of electricity. He glared at the two of them, "I am not going to play referee for you two anymore!" He snapped, "That was uncalled for! Both of you! Why don't you guys loosen up and shake hands and…make up?"

"You've got to be kidding, Al." Ifrit snarled, rubbing his eye, now swollen and bruised. "You expect me to make up to this brat?"

"You expect me to make up to this guy?"

"Nice comeback."

"Shut up."

"Oh, come on, If. Can't you be nice to _anyone? _You're really starting to bum me out with your 'we can't trust anyone' attitude!"

"He punched me!"

"You started it! It was your own fault! I would have punched you too!"

"Thank you!" Nero called.

"Hey." Alastor snapped, "You keep your mouth shut until I say it's safe for you to talk."

Nero took a step back abashedly, Ifrit snickered, Alastor immediately smacked him on the top of the head. Nero rolled his eyes and turned the other way, he looked up, and he could see in the distance, Headquarters, towering just barely over the trees and hills. Alastor and Ifrit were bickering, he wondered if he should just run out and see how far he could get before the two of them attacked him and held him back.

Fortunately, Nero was smart enough to decide that this may not have been the smartest idea and decided to stand still. As he very soon learned, this was, indeed, a rather smart idea. He was looking at the building and the forest when he saw something rushing around the sky. Some kind of snake, a kind of dragon, maybe.

He took a step back towards the devils, he nudged Alastor in the ribs, "What is that thing?" He asked, casually, as though it wasn't any kind of threat.

Alastor would have turned white, if his complexion wasn't already that color naturally.

**THE ALMOST SQUEAK OF AN ANSWER**

"**My ex-girlfriend…"**

With a shriek, the dragon dove right for them at almost blinding speed, Alastor and Ifrit immediately turned their heels and ran, Nero slipped and fell back, he felt a sudden rush of air as he watched the scales flew above his head, if he moved even an inch, he'd be quite injured.

He waited until the dragon was gone before sitting back up, he watched as it rushed after Alastor and Ifrit, for a second he wondered if now would be a good time to try to make a run for Headquarters. He really wanted to, you could tell just by looking at his face that he was very, very, very tempted to.

Oh, how Nero was conflicted. He could feel the guilt before he even took his first step. Groaning, he turned and followed after the dragon. He quickly bounded over rocks and fallen logs and moss covered old structures that had been long abandoned.

Quickly climbing up a tree, he could see it, it was chasing after Alastor, he had no clue where Ifrit was, but it didn't matter, the dragon's mouth was open, and Alastor had regrettably tripped over one of the leaf demons. Nero jumped from his perch, his right arm cocked back, and as he closed in, he punched the dragon in the mouth, altering its course; it stumbled mid-air and fell to the ground.

Alastor was tangled in a few vines as he struggled, Nero held out his arms and helped him to his feet. He was gasping for air, "Thanks…" He said, "That…that was pretty close, eh?"

"Where's the other guy?" Nero asked, Alastor shook his head; he was looking at the dragon, squirming on the ground. Its head lifted up, and split apart, and to Nero's shock, revealed a woman as part of the tongue.

"ALASTOR!" She screamed, Nero covered his ears and took a step back. "You bastard!"

"Echidna!" Alastor called, "I told you, it wasn't working out! I didn't want kids!"

"That is not how it went! You ran off with that succubus whore!"

Alastor glared. "She came on to me, I couldn't stop her! I tried to tell you before even then that it wasn't working out!"

"How could you have done this to me! You ran off and you fathered her children!"

"Well that's because they weren't required to burst out of my stomach! If it makes you feel any better, things didn't work out between the two of us, either!"

At this, the woman only shrieked, Nero continued to cover his ears, he pressed his hands close to his head. "God! Just kill that woman already!"

The dragon's tail flicked and smacked Nero and Alastor, they soared and smacked against a fallen building. "YOU!" she screamed, "You got in my way, you little brat!"

"Echidna!" Alastor yelled, getting up and waving his arms, "Leave the kid alone! It's me you're after, isn't it? Well, here: I'm sorry. Are you happy now? I apologized."

"Your words of apology are worthless! I will not be satisfied until I can feel you inside me! Wiggling around in my stomach!"

"…Oh, I get it now…" Alastor mused quietly. Nero grabbed him from behind and tackled him to the ground as Echidna flew out to attack him, they hit the ground hard, but it saved both their lives as she screamed at the two of them. As they tried to stand up, she turned and was ready to attack again. Nero shoved Alastor back down, and as their heads collided with dirt, they could feel a warm blaze right over them and hear an even more deafening scream.

The scream grew farther and farther away as the area cooled down. Nero and Alastor stood up and looked around, and saw Ifrit approaching, dusting his hands off. "Sorry for being so late." He shrugged, "She sent me pretty far away."

"You speak as though you're so great." Nero snapped, "It's not a very good way to keep friends."

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you do anything? Other than running around and crawling like a little girl?"

"Ifrit, please." Alastor said, "He did more than what you'd think."

"Oh really, and what was that?" Ifrit said smugly, looking at Nero, who bared his arm.

"Care for a demonstration?" He replied.

"What he did doesn't matter, what you did doesn't matter, either."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Apparently it means that you're not as impressive as you think." Nero said with a smirk.

"Well then same goes for you, kid."

"…Oh there is no pleasing you two. Look, she's been after me this whole time."

"Well yeah, you're the idiot who dated her."

Nero shook his head in disbelief, "Why would you date something as psychotic as that?"

"If you were as drunk as I was on that night, you'd see why I did it." Alastor mumbled, staring at the ground, "Regardless. She's been spreading her children across this forest, making it a natural habitat for those leafy little predators."

"And let me guess…" Nero sighed, "That's exactly why you guys want me to stick around?"

"I don't usually give these out," Ifrit said, "especially not to kids, half-breeds who I've only known for so long. But what you did was impressive, and impressive in this state can be useful."

"Ok, fine. I'll stick with you guys and do what I can to get rid of this disaster, but we're still going for Headquarters."

"What?" Ifrit snapped.

"I don't have time, and the walk looks like it'll take a few days or so. If you come with me, we can work together to get anything in the path. The demons, the dragon-bitch, whatever, we can get them on the way."

"Now, hold on."

"Done." Alastor agreed, "We help you, you help us, it's only fair, and its better if we do both simultaneously."

"Excuse me." Ifrit said, dragging Alastor away, "Are you crazy?" he whispered, "If we go towards Headquarters, we might get caught! And that's the last thing we'll need, especially since we were involved in the incident with the old man. How do we know he's not going to point us out the second we get there?"

"That's why we'll bail the second we see the first step towards the building. And in case a situation does arise, well, the two of us should be able to take that little twerp on."

"But…"

"I see that your eye isn't black anymore. Trust me, Ifrit. I'm not going to get us killed or anything."

"You'd better be right, damn it, Al."

"Trust me, how many times do I have to say it? I know what I'm doing."

The two of them turned back to Nero, who was eyeing them, his arms crossed, "So, what's the plan, are you going to kill me the second we get there?"

"What? No!" Alastor said quickly, "I was just assuring Iffy here that no situation's going to happen and that everything's gonna be alright."

"Ok…then let me ask you guys this: where exactly did you two come from? I mean, no offense, but you guys look like you just flew out of a bad action flick."

"And you look any better?" Ifrit snapped. "You look like you popped out of a foreign cartoon!"

"Okay, if you two don't stop right now, I'm going to be the one throwing the punches!"

"I was just asking exactly what you two were doing here. And exactly why you're doing this. If that thing is your ex-girlfriend, then wouldn't it be better if you left this forest or something?"

"Trust me, we'd like to leave this place as much as you, but we've got a job."

"What kind of job?"

"You probably wouldn't believe us," Ifrit sighed, "But we're trying to make sure that Echidna doesn't hurt anyone from Fortuna. Or attack the entirety of Fortuna, for that matter."

"So…you two demons are trying to help the city that worships a demon."

"You know, in the face of us, 'demons' is a demeaning term. We're devils. Sparda was a devil. Not demons."

Nero scoffed, "Same difference."

"Not really." Alastor said, fidgeting with his fingers, "I mean, demons, they're like grunts, they always attack in big numbers, but separated, they're pretty weak and just about useless. A devil is more unique."

"Look, I didn't come all this way just for a lecture."

"Then learn the difference between us and them, quick." Ifrit snarled, "Because believe it or not, it's offensive."

"Come on, you two, deep breaths, deep breaths, let's try not to fight each other." Alastor begged, holding his hands towards the two. "We're friends, remember?"

"Right." Nero snapped, turning around abruptly. He looked up to the sky, he could see Headquarters poking barely out of a few trees. "I'm coming, Kyrie…" He mumbled. Looking around, Nero walked up to an old, abandoned church and forced the doors open.

As he walked in, he saw that there were two scarecrows looking at him, they began to laugh that awkward laugh at him as they twirled for him. Nero was about to grab his sword, when something knocked him over. From the black clothing, Nero could tell that it was Alastor.

"What are you doing?" Nero snapped, pushing the devil off of him, Alastor pointed to the scarecrow, which was now on the ground, writhing as vines wrapped around it and crushed it's body. A flower blossomed and the vines began to swing dangerously as the plant's host lifted itself back up and continued for Alastor and Nero.

"What in the hell…?" Nero gasped.

"The plant takes host of any living thing it comes by, and if it wasn't for me, you would have been next. You should thank me."

Nero was about to grab his sword again, when the creature was engulfed in flames. In mere seconds, it was no more than dust. Nero looked around, and saw Ifrit, looking at him smugly. Nero glared at him.

"What's the matter, Devil-Knight? The big bad plant scare you?"

Nero stood, brushing himself off, "You're really the type who likes to piss people off. Ironic, as you seem to have a shorter temper than me." He pulled his sword out, Ifrit pounded his fists together, "Let it go, I'm not after you." He ran the other way and swung quickly, dispatching a scarecrow that had been on the other end of the church.

"Damn kid thinks he's king of the world." Ifrit whispered to Alastor, who frowned.

"There's a lot of green here, and I don't think it's just the plants." He sighed.


	5. Chapter 5

**JOURNAL ENTRY #15**

_**Ah, how long has it been? How long?**_

_**Since Kalina ran away from me? I tried to be kind to her.**_

_**It really was her own fault, she shouldn't have let her curiosity get to her.  
Then that dreadful night wouldn't have happened. She would have still been with me.**_

_**We would have been together. A loving couple. Even if…even if my body is sterile.**_

_**Well, that was probably my own fault, the attempts to perfect the Ceremony, and all.**_

_**But she's off…with him. Amadeus Arkham. She had his child. Mary Ann.**_

_**That bitch. That whore. I hate her, as she claims she hates me. I hope she dies.  
And that scar I left upon that bastard will never fade. Never. She will never forget me.**_

_**I will not allow it. She shall never forget the man she left alone so cruelly. **_

_**I would have given her the world! Well, it seems that sooner or later, her oh-so-loving husband will fall under soon enough, then that bitch will get what she deserves!**_

Lady read in horror, this man, that madman had done terrible things to her family. Yet she was confused as to what it meant when he wrote about him falling under. Her heart skipped a beat. It sank. She held herself together, she looked at Dante, still sleeping, a painful gasp would escape his lips every now and again, but that was the only thing assuring her that he was alive.

Taking in a deep breath, Lady looked at the next entry, scared, but so curious. Perhaps she truly was like her mother.

**JOURNAL ENTRY #16**

_**Ezekiel's son, Elijah, is growing fast. I have talked to Sanctus about the issue,  
and it shouldn't be too hard to take that child away from him. After all, Ezekiel's foolish retaliation  
turned him into a dependant, sullen drunk, whom no one would expect to be  
responsible enough to take care of his child. It would be so easy. And his boy would help to perfect the Ceremony! His blood is so tainted with alcohol and tobacco, that trying to use it  
would only put the subjects of the Ceremony in danger of cancer.**_

_**But Elijah…he's so pure, so young. So…perfect.**_

_**I'm so giddy just thinking about it! Oh, Ezekiel. You were so reluctant about the Order.**_

_**You tried to taint yourself and your reputation so that Sanctus and I wouldn't think of touching you or giving you any kind of fame. **_

_**You tried to stay away from the thought of having a family, in hopes that you would die without any heir to leave behind for us.**_

_**But you just had to accidentally fall for that little flower girl, didn't you? You fool!  
And now your attempts to keep us away will only bring us closer! For your reputation will only help in taking your precious Elijah from you!**_

Lady clenched her fists, "You monster," She whispered, "you monster…what is wrong with you? How can you take such delight in stealing other people's happiness? How can you take joy in other's suffering? God, I hope you're burning in Hell. I hope you're getting everything that you deserve, down there. You bastard. You monster, I don't even know these people, and yet you make me feel terrible for them."

Allow me to pause for a moment, to say my own word on that subject. When it came to Ezekiel, I must say that there is no man on this Earth who I have ever met, as stubborn as he was. Yes, I knew this man personally, if you should recall, I killed him.

I wish I hadn't , but it's not like I can take it back now. Anyways, back to our story.

Lady continued reading through the journal, often pausing to take in the horrors, and when they were too much, she'd turn the page immediately. There were two names that kept on popping up that were constantly catching her attention.

Cecil and Credo.

**JOURNAL ENTRY#17**

_**Well, it seems Cecil has been injured just a little too much.  
How unfortunate that he'll need that stick for the rest of his life.  
And to think that he was going to be promoted. **_

_**Looks like the man will just have to deal with a desk job.  
When he heard that, he smiled, and said that at least  
his family wouldn't have to worry about him anymore.**_

_**I could have strangled him right there.**_

_**Ah, but I can't forget that we are brothers, even if not by blood. **_

_**Even so. He invited me to his home. I only went for a little bit.**_

_**Don't really like being around a lot of people. **_

_**But my! Their little daughter is so adorable!**_

_**She didn't come near me, as expected, chose to hide behind her mother,  
or, more often, her brother. As that little brat wouldn't even look at me.**_

_**That stupid brat, Credo. How many urges have I fought? **_

_**How many times have I restrained myself from killing him?**_

_**I was thinking, though, the Ceremony is almost done…but maybe…  
just a little slip might…accidentally warp the child into a monstrosity.**_

_**And…would perhaps need to be destroyed immediately. **_

_**Ah, but I know I shouldn't…**_

_**I have something much better in mind.**_

Those final words sent a terrifying shiver up Lady's spine, and caused her to slam the book shut. It was a little too loud as Dante jerked awake, accidentally hurting his wounds.

"Sorry," She mumbled, "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Lady…are you okay?"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me…"

"What time is it?"

"…I'm afraid that I'm not carrying around a watch."

"…Phone?"

"Nope."

"Damn it."

Lady stood up and inched close to Dante, "Why are you so eager about the time, anyways? Is there some place you need to be? I mean honestly."

"I just want to know how long we've been here."

"A day, maybe two." Lady sighed. "Dante…you need…"

"Lady, we've been through this, already. I'm just going to wait until my regeneration comes back."

"What if it never comes back? Dante, you have to think about this, you could die out here. You need help."

"I've always needed help, Lady, but I never went out to get it, because…"

"Dante…"

"Lady…just let me rest. I'm tired."

Lady nodded her head and walked away from him, she sat on the other end of the abandoned house. She watched him as he slept, and sighed. When she was sure that he was out like a light, she left the house, hauling her rocket launcher with her.

She walked over to the bridge, the sun was beginning to rise. She aimed the gun at the bridge, and shot out the large bayonet and wire attached to it. It stuck to the bridge, and slowly, she began to reel the wire back, until the bridge was lowered quietly. The bayonet and wire retracted to the rocket launcher, and Lady sighed.

"Good job, Mom." She whispered. She looked at the bridge before her, and turned back around, to the abandoned house, where she gently put her rocket launcher on the ground, by Dante's feet. A kind of promise, that if he woke up, he'd know that she'd be coming back.

She'd never leave her mother behind. Even if it was just a name scratched onto a deadly weapon.

Turning back, Lady bravely took her first step into Fortuna.

As the sun rose above her head, it rose above everyone else's. Kyrie was already awake, reading as Agnus opened the door to her room. He entered casually, opening the curtains of her windows.

"Very bright day." He murmured, looking over at Kyrie, who was turning off her lamp and putting a mark in her book. She set it on her nightstand and lifted her covers over herself defensively.

If she had a voice, she'd be demanding for him to leave, in a rather angered manner. Instead, she glared at him, and gave constant looks at the door. He did not budge, instead he crossed his arms, and looked back at her. Eventually he walked over to her.

"I came here to tell you, that you'd better not try any funny business today. None at all. So if I catch that boy sneaking around, it will be you who gets the short end of the stick. You understand?"

Kyrie sighed, but nodded, Agnus continued to glare as he turned and left her in her room, "I swear, Kyrie. If I find that boy, you'll be in a world of hurt."

The door slammed behind him, Kyrie stuck her tongue out at the wood, then lifted herself from her bed. She looked out the window, and put her hand up to the glass. She stared out at the forest, and sighed, wishing that she was still in there. Alastor and Ifrit were certainly better company than this misery.

Regardless, she had no time, Agnus hated it when she was even a second late, even if he had no need for her. It was simply the need to keep her in check, to make sure that she was obeying him. She dressed herself in the white medical dress Agnus had given her. It was somewhat similar to her choir dress that she wore to the Festival, except the dress came to her knees, not her ankles, and her boots were white, not black. She wore black nylons underneath, for rather obvious reasons.

She grabbed her violin case. And as she opened the door, she saw him. Aaron, standing before her, looking rather nervous.

"I'm sorry." He choked, "I didn't mean to get you in trouble yesterday."

Kyrie shook her head and tried to walk away, but Aaron grabbed her hand, gently.

"No, really. I mean it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

She shook him off and gave him an almost frightened look. She pointed at the infirmary, and looked at him, hoping he'd understand what she meant. Aaron looked over, and gulped.

"You're right, I should leave, last thing I want is for Dr. Dei to attack me. Let alone yell at you…sorry…"

Kyrie sighed heavily as he turned around and disappeared down the hallway. She turned back and walked toward the infirmary. In opening the door, she was greeted by a large shadow hovering over her. She put her hands to her mouth as Agnus stared down at her, angrily, his arms crossed, his fingers fidgeting menacingly. His head turned towards the clock, then back at her.

Six minutes late. Latest she'd ever been. She hated Agnus' constant need to be exactly on the clock, and now, she hated it more than ever. She lowered her hands and glared at him, she stamped her foot, as though telling him that she wasn't perfect. That it was ridiculous for him to expect everything from her.

"So…when did he show up?" He asked.

**ONE THING ABOUT AGNUS**

**He somehow just **_**knew**_**.**

**Every time you did something wrong.**

**Even when it was an accident, or completely unintended.**

**And, no matter what, he didn't care.**

**There were no excuses with him.**

Kyrie's mouth opened wide, she tried to explain, but Agnus grabbed her roughly by her arms and nearly threw her in the music room, slamming the door shut.

"You just stay in there and think about what you've done." He growled.

Kyrie looked at the door, and put her hand on it. She grabbed the knob. It wouldn't move. She lightly put her head on the door and sighed, wiping tears from her eyes as she clutched her violin case.

It just makes you wonder, doesn't it? Who would save this poor girl from her fate? Why couldn't anyone tell that she was in trouble? After all, the tunes from the piano or the violin were anything but pleasant. They were always so slow and dark. You'd think someone would hear her and think, "Poor girl. I sure do hope that doctor is treating her nicely." but they didn't. There was little sympathy for the choir girl.

Though it might please you to know that there was someone trying to find out what had happened to her. Every day, Gloria Patri would walk past the infirmary and stick her head in just a little bit to see what she could find. She knew that something was wrong. She didn't trust Agnus, she had such a terrible feeling inside her considering him. A mother's instinct. It told her that he had hurt her child.

She'd continue sneaking a glance at Agnus, at his infirmary, until she found proof that he had done something.

Too bad Agnus had something in mind for her, as well.

As the day passed, Lady found herself wandering around the town of Fortuna for much longer than she had anticipated. She was so distracted by the Gothic architecture and nature of the people. There was some technology, but not nearly as much as Lady was used to. And the dress attire was so old fashioned it made her feel different. Though her white suit helped a little bit, she couldn't help that she was probably the only woman in pants, or that her midriff was showing a little bit.

There were some who'd stare at her, some young men. People would whisper to one another whenever she walked past. She had never felt so uncomfortable in her life. Yet still…she felt like she belonged here, this place she never knew. The island where her mother grew up.

"Am I home?" She asked herself, "Is this where I was meant to be?"

Well, she was wrong if she thought that she was meant to live here. Her mother left this place behind for a reason, and, as they say, everything happens for a reason. Perhaps…that's true.

She couldn't help but be distracted as she walked among the people and looked into the stores and other areas. She was suddenly so eager to spend her money that she bought a hood to wear over her clothes, But she didn't forget him, the terrorist she was helping.

She could hear people talking as she looked at the shoes (they were horrible, in her opinion, but she still wanted to look). They spoke of His Holiness, his murder, that Red Assassin.

"Have they caught him yet?" One man asked his friend, who shook his head.

"They said he went for Fortuna Castle, and no one wants to step in there. No one."

"Well, if it's Fortuna Castle, he's probably dead. You know what happens. Knights go in…no one comes out."

"Yeah, but the Red Assassin is a devil…perhaps he had the strengths to make it through."

"Heard he kidnapped the young songstress."

"Did he? That poor girl! Who knows what he's done to her!"

"Quite a shame, she was so beautiful."

"Oh come on, she's way too young for you."

"…She was, at least. She's probably deader than a doornail, now."

"Are you guys talking about Kyrie Eleison?"

Lady looked up and saw the clerk of the shoe store, an elderly lady, leaning over her counter. The two men looked at her.

"Is that the girl's name?"

"Yeah, the songstress…did you hear? She's alive! They found her in the Mitis Forest."

"That's great! Did they get the-"

"No." The clerk shook her head somberly, "My son, Aaron, he told me all about it. They found the poor girl in the forest. Apparently the Red Assassin raped her, took her voice, and left her for dead…the monster."

"Bullshit." Lady snapped. "That couldn't be how the story goes."

"Excuse me?" The clerk said, eyeing her suspiciously, "How would you know what happened? Were you there?"

"Were you? You shouldn't talk like you know everything about it. There…could be something much deeper to it."

"Like what?" One of the men said, he looked closely at her, and whispered to his friend, who nodded. They were quiet for a while, he then spoke again. "Pardon me for changing the subject…but do you know Kalina Dei?"

"W-who?" Lady stammered.

"Kalina Ann…you look just like her. Do you know her?"

"…No." Lady replied quickly. She turned to the clerk, "Anyways, what's happened to the girl now? This…Kyrie Eleison?"

"Funny you should mention that. Both of you. Remember Kalina Ann's husband?"

"Dr. Dei? Can't say I've seen him too many times…he's the big tall guy, right?"

"Yes, well apparently he's taking care of the poor dear. Since Vicar Eleison's too busy to work with her. Oh, I haven't told you the worst part! Apart from being mute…the girl's insane."

"What?"

"Yes…they…"She looked at Lady, then sighed, "they _assume_ that the Red Assassin warped her mind. Apparently she struggled against medical treatment and even attacked the Vicar."

"…Dr. Dei?" Lady whispered. She spoke so that the clerk and the two men could hear her, "Excuse me…but…this Dr. Dei. Is he about…six feet?"

They chuckled immediately, "Oh my, if I can remember, he's taller than six feet."

"He's quite a monster of a man, that Dr. Dei. Isn't his name…Agnus, or something like that?"

"Yeah, Agnus Dei." The man laughed, "Now that I think of it, it's a good thing that little girl is in his care! I think he's a fair amount larger than the assassin."

"Oh my, that is good, isn't it? If the Red Assassin tries to get the poor girl again, he'll have the doctor to deal with!"

"I hear his short temper's something to be reckoned with."

"Hah! I would pay money to see the doctor take on that devil!"

"Are you kidding? He could have taken him down in one punch! It's a shame he didn't show up at the Festival!"

As they laughed and told harmless jokes about the doctor taking on the devil, Lady turned a pale white. She took in a deep breath. She felt a lump in her throat.

"Shit…" She groaned, turning around abruptly and leaving the shop hurriedly. She had to get Dante something to eat, something for his wounds, and tell him everything she had just heard. The girl he had told her about. That poor girl, indeed.

As she grabbed a bag of chips for her and Dante to munch on, she got ready to find a drug store, but the ground beneath her rumbled, soon she, and half the entire town of Fortuna were looking around in confusion. It didn't take Lady long to realize what had happened.

Back at Headquarters, there was word going around again about the devils in the forest. Presumably wreaking havoc, there had been so much commotion going on in there, as the forest was astir with screaming and other mysterious activities. Knights they sent in there were not coming out. The Mitis Forest was becoming the next Fortuna Castle.

In a way, it was actually more of the "Anti Fortuna Castle".

**THE OPPOSING FORCE**

**When a knight went into Fortuna Castle,**

**they would be experimented on and turned into a monster.  
****  
When a knight went into the Mitis Forest,  
a chimera seed would turn them into a demonic host,  
and Alastor and Ifrit would send the two to heaven and back to hell.**

Just think about that for a second.

Now think about this: Agnus is the head of Fortuna Castle…and anything taking his knights away was making him very irritated.

Now, who was the one who survived Fortuna Castle? And what did she have that Agnus didn't want anyone else to have? Now, who was the survivor of the Mitis Forest? And what do you think she had that Agnus, in fact, _wanted_?

Information.

He had heard about them, there was a simple survivor of the forest, who was injured greatly, but he claimed that he saw them, the black devil, the orange devil, and…apparently, from what little he saw (the white hair)…the Red Assassin!

He had seen them, but only briefly. Due to his injuries, he only hauled himself back to Headquarters after he saw them, knowing that he would be no match for them. Not too long after he had reported, he gave into his wounds and perished.

This was enough for Credo to want a barrage of knights going into the forest. It was enough for Agnus to barge into Kyrie's music room.

She was playing piano very somberly when she heard him swing the door open forcefully. He glared at her in a way that made her spine tingle. She knew something was wrong, and it was proved as Agnus lunged for her and grabbed her throat.

"You know them…" He hissed. "The devils in the forest! You know them! Did they help you, Snow White? Tell me who they are! They're with _him, _aren't they? His little lackeys? Tell me!"

Kyrie tried not to breathe, his hot, rancid breath made her sick. She begged him to let her go as tears slipped from her eyes. He let go of her, she grabbed her throat and took in a deep breath, she looked at him as he continued to glare at her.

Very quickly, she found some paper and a pencil. She had no choice, she had to tell him. She told him what she could.

_Alastor. Ifrit._

She gave him the paper, he looked it over. He patted her on the head. "Good girl. I'm sorry for being so forceful. I just can't control my temper sometimes. You understand."

She inched away from him, staring at the floor.

"Doctor!"

Kyrie's eyes lit up as Gloria walked up to them, Agnus scowled, "What is it, Gloria?"

"We're cancelling the attack on the forest."

"Why?"

"Instead, we need you, and Kyrie…Fortuna's under attack! We have to get there, immediately!"

Kyrie gasped and covered her mouth, Agnus stood and put the paper in his pocket. "Alright, we'll be right there."

Gloria nodded, and left the infirmary. Agnus turned to Kyrie.

"Well, looks like it's time for your first lesson on the field."

Kyrie grabbed her violin case, and nodded reluctantly.

"…You know…my mother was a nurse…" Agnus said quietly, "She died on the field. Try not to do the same, will you?"


	6. Chapter 6

I have to laugh at the constant demon attacks that happened in Fortuna, they all had gotten so used to them, that you'd think that they'd stop flailing their arms and running. No, that's pretty much all they did. Or so it seemed. Some of them knew to get people to safety as soon as they could, while the knights that patrolled the city attacked. The retired knights also did what they could.

Lady was running with some of them, the bag of chips still in her hands, cursing herself for not bringing a weapon to defend herself, let alone other people, with.

I personally have to wonder how exactly she can run in those kinds of shoes. I was waiting for her to trip over herself. Have myself a good laugh. It didn't happen, she was too used to it, I guess.

As she ran, she noticed a family hiding under an outdoor table, she ran over to them and tried to convince them to come out. They would not comply. She tried telling them that they were easy targets, the family brushed her off and began to pray. To some Savior.

Lady shook her head and continued running for her own safety. She was urged to run back to Dante, but running towards the hills, she realized: The demons were coming from that very direction. She shook her head in disbelief and ran away, hoping to find someplace safe.

As she ran, she saw the shadow of an angel across the sky, she paused and looked up. It was gone. Maybe. She continued to look around, she heard screaming, crying, wicked laughter. Her breathing accelerated, everything was blurry, it was happening too fast, far too fast. She reached for her belt desperately, forgetting that there were no guns there.

More wicked laughter, this time it was closer, too close. Lady turned around, three creatures, scarecrows, she recalled, coming towards her at blinding speed, her heart was pounding, her breathing heavy. She put her hands up, as though she were holding a gun. She could feel them slicing into her body, she did not cry as they attacked her, she pulled back her imaginary trigger, ignoring the warm blood flowing down her body. As she pulled her trigger, the demons disappeared, they wiggled and squirmed and fell to the ground.

She fell over, losing consciousness, she felt arms wrap around her. She was lifted.

"Are you okay?"

Dante? Is that you?

She couldn't say it, she was already out. Her rescuer carried her away as the demons were chased off by knights. He placed her gently on the ground and examined her wounds, nothing serious, that was good. He sighed and stood, watching at the threat was eliminated, he looked around at the rest of Fortuna, all the other people struggling and whimpering.

By far, this had been one of the worst attacks.

Lady groaned as she opened her eyes, there was a man, hovering over her, facing the other way, his white coat rustled in the wind, along with his brown hair. She sat up and groaned in pain. He turned and knelt down to her.

"Awake already?" He said, smiling, "How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Lady snapped, trying to lift herself again, but the pain kept her down.

"Don't move, you're hurt."

"It's only a flesh wound." She insisted. The man scoffed. "Don't laugh at me!"

"What do you think you were doing?" He asked her, his expression serious, "Pointing your hands at scarecrows like you could just make them disappear?"

Lady shrugged, "Well it was working, from what I could tell." She sighed, looking up at him. As she stared, there was some sort of feeling. An odd sensation.

I know you, it said, I have never seen you in my life, but I know you.

His dark brown hair dangled at his shoulders as he looked at her curiously. "Is something wrong?" He asked, brushing some hair from her eyes, she gently swatted him away.

"I'm fine…" She whispered.

"Your Holiness!" A few knights said, walking up to the two. The man stood, "The demons have been eradicated. Fortuna's safe."

"For now." Lady whispered. She watched him as he spoke with his knights, she wondered if she could slip away from him. Looking around, she saw the bag of chips, demolished beyond edibility. She groaned loudly, her stomach growled with her.

"Gloria?"

"Your Holiness…"

"Where is she? Wasn't she with you?"

"We don't know what happened, Your Holiness, she hasn't showed up."

"…So then there's a chance that she's alive, right?"

"Yes, Your Holiness."

"Well, go find her, please."

"As you wish, Your Holiness."

The knights ran off in different directions, Lady sighed, sitting up at last. She smiled, "Bring her back to me. Sounds like a love song, Your Holiness. Hope they find her."

His Holiness nodded, looking in an opposite direction, he turned his head towards her, just a little bit, "How are you feeling?"

"Hungry." Lady replied. His Holiness nodded.

"You still need a doctor. I'll find a knight, he'll escort you to Dr. Dei."

Lady stood up immediately, she clutched her wound as she growled, "I'll die before he comes near me."

"What are you talking about?" His Holiness snapped, turning to Lady, "You refuse medical treatment from the best doctor in Fortuna?"

"Is that what he is?" She replied, "The best doctor?"

"Don't be so reluctant, you need help! And more than just physical help, from what I see…"

"Oh, is that an insane joke? You're hilarious, but I'm going."

"You…" His Holiness didn't finish his sentence as he watched Lady walk away with a slight limp. He clenched his fists as he watched her, shaking his head.

Kyrie followed Agnus somberly as they walked among the streets of Fortuna, helping anyone they found in need. Agnus would work over the patient, Kyrie would assist him in anyway she could. Usually the most she could do was take out her violin (she made sure that no one noticed there was a gun hiding in there) and play the injured a simple tune. Very often this small act was very powerful.

There were those that Agnus refused to help, those that he called "sinkers", ones who were so close to death that he wouldn't bother with them. "You're already suffering enough, you wouldn't want me to increase it." He'd growl as he walked (he never even bothered to stop and talk to them), but Kyrie would stay behind. The sinker would stare at her, usually if there was a family, they'd be hovering over them, she'd pull out her violin again, and play a dirge, until the angels took the soul away, until the family thanked her, or, more often, when Agnus grabbed her, yelling at how she was wasting his time.

"We can't dwell on them like that." He scolded, "They're going to die, let them. There are other people out there who need to be helped."

As he did his job, he'd often pull Kyrie close to him and explain everything he was doing, though he never slowed down, Kyrie worked hard to keep up with him. To understand exactly what he was doing, so that maybe, one day, she'd be able to do it as well.

**POOR AGNUS**

**He was working her hard, to make her into his assistant.**

**Little did he know, that he was actually training his replacement.**

Yes, I am free to feel a little sympathy for him, but it's not what you think, you haven't even seen the whole picture. Don't worry, don't get mad at me. You'll understand soon. I promise.

As Kyrie worked, she'd see him. Her brother, the man who left her behind. Talking to people. Often they were "sinkers" that Agnus had left. Or just their families. He'd rekindle their faith, and help them to cope. At least, as best as he could. Credo wasn't exactly a sociable person. The most "sociable" he'd ever been was yelling out orders or scolding knights at the top of his lungs.

**AN AMUSING COMEBACK**

"**Please, I only have one arm, spare me the risk of being deaf."**

Nero could be such a daredevil at times. Though I'm getting distracted, let me continue.

As Credo would speak to these people, those who lost family members, or were worried about them, he'd think about Gloria. She had gone missing, no one knew what had happened to her. He was scared, he wished that there was someone there to help him and reassure him, or rekindle his dropping faith.

There was a little boy, hiding in an alley, cowering at the sight of Credo, who knelt down and spoke softly.

"Hey there, where's your family?" He asked kindly. The boy was in tears, he was possibly only seven or eight. Calmly, Credo beckoned for the boy to come.

"They're gone…" He whimpered, "I saw it…an angel swooped down and took them away."

"Took them away?"

He nodded, "I…I saw it, it just flew down and grabbed them, and it flew away."

Credo stood and walked over to the boy, he held him in his arms, "Don't worry, they're with the Savior, now."

"…The Savior, I _hate _him!" The boy bawled, "I don't want the Savior to come! I hate him!"

Credo patted the boy on the back, he lifted him up and sat him down with a group of survivors, where he was to await his fate. He watched as His Holiness left him behind, and wiped his eyes.

Lady was getting used to the pain in her side, where she was cut. She wondered whether or not she should check on Dante, seeing as there probably wasn't much she could, let alone should, do for the people of Fortuna. She looked behind her, making sure that no one was following her, then walked down, making her way to the bridge.

Just before she got there, she heard an anguished cry. Lady looked down a small gorge, and saw a small patch of white at the bottom. She quickly slid down the dirt and saw the woman. Her dark skin almost clashing against her white uniform. Her face was bloody, her outfit was ripped up, but she was still breathing.

"Hey." Lady said quickly. The woman opened her brilliant blue eyes and looked up at her.

"Who are you?"

"That's not exactly the thing to ask someone when they've just found you half dead."

"Yes it is, it makes you feel safer knowing if you're in the hands of an enemy or a friend."

Lady scoffed, "Well, I'm not exactly an enemy. What happened to you?"

The woman looked up, awed. "It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen…I was fighting some demon, and the next thing I know, some suit of armor picks me up and starts flying away with me! I attacked it, and it released me, I fell pretty hard…I can't feel my leg."

Lady looked over, she saw that a rock was on top of her left leg, she cringed, and turned back to the woman. "I'm going to get you some help, okay? What's your name?"

"Gloria."

"Gloria?" Lady repeated, "Funny, I just saw His Holiness not too long ago, and he sent some knights to go find you."

"…Did he?" Gloria sighed, smiling, "He still cares…"

"…What's that supposed to mean?"

"…I refused to marry him. I wished I could tell him why. I wished that I could just tell him. Tell him that Fortuna was in too much of a crisis, that it would hurt his sister's feelings. His poor sister. She must hate us both."

"…I'm sure she doesn't. Just, stay there, I'll be back, with help."

"Stay here…right, like I'm going to run to the store really fast."

Lady gave a smile as she climbed back up the gorge, she looked around, the area was empty, she walked to another part of town, hoping that maybe she could find His Holiness and tell him what had happened. A knight walked by her, she quickly grabbed him and began to explain, quickly.

"There's someone who's fallen in a gorge over there, they need serious help, fast."

Lady's heart leaped into her throat as she saw just who she had grabbed. His scowl curled into a cruel grin as Agnus looked down to her. "Do they now? Your poor comrade, injured? What a tragedy."

"How did you…"

"Lucky you, I'm the best doctor Fortuna's ever seen."

"Don't you mean 'mad scientist'?" Lady spoke, she was quickly cut off as Agnus put a large finger to her lips, hushing her.

"There's no need to scare the people, you know." He said, "Now where is he?" His smile was growing more wicked by the second.

Lady sneered, "I have no idea what you're talking about. The person stuck down there is a woman, don't know why you immediately assumed it was a man."

Agnus leaned close to her and whispered menacingly in her ear, "You'd better tell me where he is, you little bitch, or there will be hell to pay…"

"He's dead." Lady snapped. Agnus was shocked, "He died of blood loss."

"Dead?" He snarled, "Ridiculous."

As Lady was about to reply, a small girl, with a violin case in hand, approached, she hid behind Agnus, eying Lady cautiously. As Agnus felt her against him, he grabbed her arm and pushed her towards Lady.

"…Why don't you tell _her_ that?"

Lady looked at the little girl, she was probably no older than seventeen, her eyes were scared, sweat was dripping down her forehead.

"Why does she need to know?"

"Oh…Mary, you haven't met Kyrie yet, have you?"

Lady cringed as he spoke, "Don't you dare call me Mary."

"But isn't that the name your precious daddy gave you? Kyrie…this is Mary Ann, she's Dante's little slut."

Kyrie's eyes widened at his words, she stared in shock and horror at Lady, who was glaring at Agnus, he smiled, and continued to speak.

"Didn't I tell you? I tried to convince you…he doesn't care about you. You're wasting your heart. Now, Mary, why don't you share with Kyrie exactly what's happened to him? Tell her. Look this poor, innocent, little girl in the eyes and tell her what has happened to the man who she believed was her 'savior'. Tell her, as you told me."

Kyrie. Kyrie Eleison. Lady frowned as she looked at her, she shook her head, "I'm…sorry. He's dead. Dante is dead."

As Lady spoke, Kyrie's eyes welled with tears, her face scrunched with sorrow as she put her hands to her lips and cried, her knees fell to the ground, Lady fell with her, she held the girl in her arms, trying to keep her together.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered, "I'm so sorry…"

Agnus smiled at them, he turned his attention to the gorge that Lady was pointing out, she watched as he walked over there, he turned towards them. "Kyrie…" He growled, "That's enough. Come."

"She's not a fucking _dog_!" Lady shrieked, standing up, "You can't just boss her around like that! You can't just treat her like she has no feelings!"

Kyrie wiped her eyes. She patted Lady on the arm, looking at the ground, she walked towards Agnus, giving Lady a look that told her not to worry.

"I'm used to it." It said.

Kyrie was still wiping her eyes as she followed Agnus, they both looked over the gorge. Kyrie was shocked to see that it was Gloria, and immediately slid down. She steadied herself, trying not to fall as she approached Gloria, lying down. She held her head up and rested it on her knees as she waited for Agnus to come down.

"Kyrie…" Gloria mumbled, "Is that you?"

Agnus slid down, he approached Gloria, taking note of the rock on her leg, "How are you feeling, Gloria?" He asked.

"Like I'm going to throw up." Gloria replied.

Lady laughed, following after the two of them, "I know how that feels."

"What are you doing down here?" Agnus said.

"I was coming to check on her, see if she was okay or not."

"She's…" Agnus shook his head, he couldn't say that she was fine, "You'd better get His Holiness."

Kyrie nodded, and began to lift herself up.

"Not you." He barked. "Her."

"Me?"

"You're the only female here who's doing nothing. Other than Gloria."

Gloria scoffed, rolling her eyes. Lady shook her head as she climbed up the gorge again.

"She's a different kind of person, isn't she?" Gloria said, Agnus was looking at the rock, trying to find the best way to move it. "She's not a Fortunan…but she looks an awful lot like one, doesn't she?"

Kyrie nodded, pointing at her eyes.

"Yeah," Gloria agreed, "Those eyes sure were different-OW!"

Kyrie looked over at Agnus who had moved the rock a little bit, "Sorry, I thought it would be best to not warn you. And I thought I could get it off."

"Well, damn it, don't!"

Agnus snickered. He heard two people approaching, Lady and His Holiness showed up, Credo ran to Gloria's side.

"Oh, god, Gloria…" He whispered, "I thought you were dead."

"Your Holiness…" Gloria said.

Kyrie was certain that they were going to kiss, but Gloria's outburst of pain caused Credo to jerk away from her. They all looked over and watched in shock as Agnus pushed the large rock off of Gloria. As it slid off, he picked Gloria up and began to crawl up the gorge.

Credo watched, his eyes wide. "Damn…no one wants to get in a fist fight with that man…"

Lady scoffed, she turned to His Holiness and said, with a sly smile, "I could take him."

His Holiness shook his head in disbelief, he looked over at Kyrie, who was still crying a little bit. "What's wrong?" He asked gently. She shook her head and followed after Agnus before he yelled at her to come. Credo followed behind, but not before stopping to look at Lady.

"You've found someone very important to me…" He said, "And for that, I must thank you."

Lady shrugged, "It was nothing, Your Holiness." She looked at Kyrie, "She's your sister, right?"

"…How'd you know?"

"…You two look alike."

"…Oh. I see."

"…Gloria's not the only precious person in your life…Your Holiness. You should watch over your sister, too. She needs you…more than you think she does. Even if she doesn't show it…"

Credo nodded, continuing up the gorge, as the two of them reached the top, he looked at her curiously. "This might sound strange." He said, "But…have we met before? It feels…as though I know you…"

Lady smiled, "I feel almost the same way. But I've never seen you before. I've never been to Fortuna…"

"…And I've never left." Credo tilted his head, "How odd…"

Lady nodded, "It _is_ pretty odd, isn't it?" she agreed, turning over to Kyrie, who was assisting Agnus in dressing Gloria's wounds. She looked back to His Holiness, "I think she'll be fine, a few scratches and a broken leg, I assume. Shouldn't be too bad."

His Holiness nodded, he looked at Lady, narrowing his eyes as he stared at her. "Your eyes…" He said quietly. Lady looked down and pulled the hood over her head, "That scar…"

"Drop it." She snarled. "I don't like talking about it."

He nodded his head, "Yes, I see your point. My apologies."

As Kyrie was wrapping Gloria's scratches, she saw something from the entrance of Port Caerula. Something red. She stood, she looked as Agnus did what he could for Gloria's broken leg, and began to sneak away, Agnus watched her, she disappeared to an empty area, and, figuring she simply needed to use a restroom, he continued his work.

Credo watched as Lady walked back to the town, she claimed that she still needed something to eat, and was going to see what she could find. His mind was buzzing as he wondered why exactly she seemed so familiar, when he saw Kyrie walking off, Agnus must not have been paying attention, as she was walking off for the port, the exact place where she had gone missing.

Kyrie walked around the port, she saw that the bridge was down since the last time she had been here. The blur of red walked away, she quickly followed after it, wondering if it was real or if she was beginning to see ghosts.

Soon enough, she was back on Ferrum Hills, just like that fateful day. The day it all began. She heard shuffling in an abandoned building, the same one she had once tried to hide from him in. Slowly she walked up to it and opened the door. She looked around, and she saw him.

Dante turned and looked at her in shock, he gave a wry smile, "Choir girl…" He said, his voice was raspy, his eyes were tired, and his hair was disheveled. Kyrie looked at the blood on his side, and the bone sticking out of his arm, held limply at his side.

The woman was lying, Dante wasn't dead. As this beautiful truth blanketed her, she dove for him, he grunted as she collided with him, and with his still working hand, Dante wrapped his one arm around her. "I…I saw him…" He admitted, "I'm sorry…I tried, but he…he fooled me. I can't regenerate. I'm sorry, Kyrie. You'll have to wait a little longer. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen." He sighed, "I should have stayed with you…if only Alastor and Ifrit kept you in their sights…you'd be safe…"

Kyrie looked up in shock, maybe confusion. Dante chuckled.

"Don't give me that look. Of course I know them." He sighed again, "They would have kept you safe…"

Kyrie pulled off him, it was difficult, but she knew she had to go, before anyone began to question where she had gone to.

Dante looked at her mournfully. He was about to tell her again that he was sorry, that he would finish Agnus off soon, that Nero's soul would be at rest, that she could sleep at night. But something else happened, and Kyrie could tell that it wasn't going to be pleasant as the door behind her swung open, and Dante's eyes grew wide.

**THE TERRIFYING MOMENT**

**Kyrie was grabbed from behind.  
She heard footsteps, many of them.  
Knights barged into the house.  
They surrounded poor , helpless, one-armed Dante.**

The reason for the lady's lie became crystal clear as Credo held Kyrie close to his chest. To keep Agnus away, to keep the Order from finding him.

Dante could not regenerate, he was hungry, he had a fractured arm, he could not fight. He was a sitting duck. Credo took note immediately of the Red Assassin's injuries, his broken arm. This was good; unfair, but good.

"Get him…" Credo growled.

"Wait…" Dante tried, but wasn't able to reason, as the knights attacked him. They didn't attack him with blades, but instead beat him with their sheathed swords. Kyrie struggled. She wanted to make them stop, but Credo had a good grip on her, she was helpless as she watched Dante fall to the floor, his blood staining the old, rotting wood.

"That's enough." Credo demanded. The knights stopped, smiling over Dante's battered body, one kicked him hard in the stomach. Dante cried out, he tried to lift himself, but the knight kicked him again, and he plummeted to the floor. His bloody face looked up at Credo, he glared at him, but at the same time, asked him why.

"For the murder of Vicar Solomon Sanctus, and other, terrible crimes I won't even say, you are under arrest." Credo growled, clutching his sister closely to him. He looked at one of the knights, "You, take Kyrie to Agnus, tell him what happened…that the assassin will need a doctor."

"NO!" Dante yelled, "You're making a mistake!" He was cut short as another knight kicked him in the face, his mouth was bloody. His head was spinning.

Dante had lost.


	7. Chapter 7

The blood was delicious and disgusting; it smelled of victory, it tasted of defeat. Dante felt small, like a child as Credo stood over him, triumphant, trying not to grin, trying not to shout "he's mine", nothing like that. Though other knights were whispering to each other with confidence, some of them were staring at the weapons on the floor everywhere. The guns, the sword, and the large black weapon with a bayonet attached to it.

Credo examined it closely, he saw the scratched paint, no, deeper than just the paint. The scratches formed closely, taking a better look, Credo saw that they were intentional, that they were in fact, a name.

**TWO WORDS**

_**Kalina Ann**_

The name was familiar. Credo had heard it somewhere before. Somewhere he couldn't remember. He racked his brain, trying to remember. He knew the name, he knew it.

But from where?

Credo's head was still trying to recall when one of the knights asked exactly what they were going to do with the Red Assassin, lying on the floor, feet holding him down, eyes glaring and smiling at him.

"Take him to the town, let the people know they are safe, and then we'll take him to Headquarters. And get some others to take these weapons, too."

"Safe…?" The Red Assassin almost gurgled, his mouth still choking on blood, "You think these people are honestly safe? Look around, these attacks aren't random, they've been plotted."

"Exactly." Credo snapped, "The demons came from this very area, now look at where you're standing."

"You think I've been doing this? It's not me. You've got the wrong guy."

Credo knelt down and looked the Red Assassin over, "…No, I'm pretty sure it was you." He stood, "It doesn't matter, you're still the one who murdered Vicar Sanctus."

Dante glared at Credo, he tried to stand, but every movement got him a swift kick from several knights. He stared at the ground, he thought of Kyrie, maybe he could use her to convince Credo. Before he could speak, he felt ropes tying his legs together, they grabbed his arms, he yelled out.

"Stop, stop." Credo ordered, "His arm's broken, it'd be best if we didn't make it worse."

Dante wanted to thank Credo, he decided not to. There was no reason to thank the man that was arresting him. Instead he sighed loudly and took the torture.

Agnus was looking around, he was soon aware that it was a wrong idea to let Kyrie wander off on her own, he hoped that she was only playing violin to some dying person, but found something slightly more satisfying as a knight nearly dragged her to him. She was struggling, fighting against him; Agnus could see that one more tug could get her away from him. Quickly he walked up and grabbed the girl.

"Dr. Dei." The knight said, giving a small salute, "They've captured him. The Red Assassin."

"Good." Agnus said calmly, smiling as he held Kyrie close to his chest, "What happened? To Kyrie? He didn't hurt the poor girl, did he? I'd feel absolutely terrible if something happened to her…"

"No, we got there before he could hurt her…though it seems that he's been terribly injured. He'll need a doctor…"

"And that doctor is to be me?" Agnus scoffed, "I couldn't bear to treat the man who did such terrible deeds to this poor girl."

"…But, Dr. Dei."

"However, I'm sure I could put my grudge aside for a little bit."

"Thank you, Dr. Dei." The knight sighed as he walked away. Agnus rubbed Kyrie's shoulders; she shivered, already able to predict what was going to happen next.

Lady was eating an apple, a gift from a few people going around and feeding the survivors, when she heard the commotion, grunting, straining, screaming.

Dante.

She almost dropped her apple as she looked around in horror, she rushed over to the area where she had found the injured woman, Gloria, others came with her to see what was going on. His Holiness was walking up to them all. He motioned his hands so that the people would make a path, then a group of knights came. Dragging behind them by ropes was the Red Assassin. His face was bloody; he gave out mournful cries as they dragged him.

The people of Fortuna cheered, Lady stood in horror. She stood in the back, terrified that someone would see her and put her with him. Agnus lumbered behind Credo, he held Kyrie's arm and put his hand on Credo's shoulder.

"Congratulations, Credo…" He said.

Lady's ears perked. Credo. The boy. Her eyes widened. This was the boy that Agnus wanted to kill. He was a man now, Agnus was patting him. He returned to the back of the line, along with Dante, as Credo told the people that Fortuna was safe from this nightmare.

Or so he had hoped.

**THE MORE TERRIFYING ANNOUNCEMENT**

**In four days, hopefully less,  
Dante was to be executed.**

People cheered this news on, but were unhappy to hear that they were not allowed to come and see it. Lady trembled, His Holiness and his knights marched through the town, some were carrying the Red Assassin's sword, his guns, a large rocket launcher, and Gloria's injured body.

Agnus trailed behind Dante, as Dante looked up, Agnus was upside down, but he could tell he was grinning. Kyrie was at his side, staring at the ground.

"Don't worry, Kyrie…" Agnus snickered, loud enough for Dante to hear, "He's going to be executed soon! Won't that be a relief? He'll never be able to harm you again!"

"You're a sick man." Dante grunted.

Agnus smiled, "I wouldn't be so rude if I were you. After all, as the doctor asked to tend to your wounds, I can simply refuse and let you bleed to death. Not that I would, but even so. You might want to consider exactly whose hands your life is in now."

Dante closed his eyes and groaned as he was dragged away. Agnus paused; he placed his hands on Kyrie's shoulders again.

**A CRUEL WHISPER**

"**Where's your Savior, **_**now**_**, Kyrie?"**

It tore her apart, she was losing faith, she was falling. She could have fallen to her knees right then and there, if Agnus hadn't pushed her forward. Lady was watching him, clenching her fists as the man treated her like dirt. She wondered why no one noticed. Why no one cared about this poor girl.

At this, she walked up to Credo, "Your Holiness…" She said, "I know that it's not exactly your business, but I was wondering…since my hotel room has been trashed, my money, my clothes, my passport, perhaps you could provide me with a room? And a phone, so I can call someone to get this whole thing arranged. And a bathtub, as well."

"…You saved Gloria's life. A room is a petty thing to ask in return of such a deed," He nodded, "You're welcome to a temporary room, if, mind you, you don't get too nosy in our affairs."

"NO!"

The scream was deafening as Agnus stormed up to the two of them. This man could hear an unpleasant idea a mile away.

"Your Holiness, I can't allow this! This woman is a stranger! Letting her into Headquarters could be a threat!"

Credo was taken aback, "I don't believe that this is your decision."

"Your Holiness, please! Hear me out! This woman cannot be trusted!"

"And why exactly is that?"

"Why? Look at her! Look at the improper way she dresses! Her eyes!" Agnus gave a cry of pain as Lady drove her heel into his shoe. "That cutthroat attitude…" He grunted. "She cannot be trusted…"

Credo looked at Lady, she looked back at him. Credo gave a small smile. "…I trust her."

"How? She's not one of us! She's a menace!"

"I believe it's too early for you to be judging like that!" Credo snapped, losing his patience, "Now why don't you go do your job and keep an eye on Kyrie? Make sure she doesn't walk off again?"

Agnus' lip curled in disgust as he marched away, his foot still in pain. Credo shook his head. "Sorry about him," He whispered, "He's just a little skeptical. Sad thing is that he eventually grows on you."

"…Like a really bad overgrowth?" Lady smirked.

Credo laughed out loud, but stopped immediately, "That's a terrible thing to say." he whispered, trying to keep himself from smiling.

The knights marched on, Agnus watched as Credo and Lady laughed together. I still wonder if he had forgotten about Kyrie, or if he really just wanted to hurt something at the moment, and she was the closest thing. Either way, her shoulder was rather sore by the end of the day.

She looked up at the sky, wondering about her religion and her God. If there was one anymore. If there ever was one to begin with. Why did Fortuna pray to a devil? Why did they believe in a Savior? What was this Savior supposed to look like? Where was he supposed to come from? What was he supposed to do?

If she was suffering so much, where was _her_ Savior? Where was the one to supposedly shelter her from this storm? What was she supposed to believe in _now_?

I personally believe it's time for a pleasant change in scenery. You must be exhausted from all the depression going on here. It's certainly wiping me out.

Allow me to return you to the Mitis Forest. Where Alastor and Ifrit were watching as Nero looked around the old abandoned church, he was staring at a large glass wall, wondering exactly why it was there. He took his sword and began to smack at it. The glass was thick, and wouldn't break for a small slap; Nero growled and continued to drive his sword in over and over, until there was enough damage for him to take his claw and begin punching holes in the glass, making a large walkway.

He could rely on that arm for nearly everything, if you ask me.

A gift.

A curse.

From me.

This was what Nero had said when it first took over his body. When it painfully emerged from the stump of a shoulder in the dark of the night. Blood stained his sheets, his shirt, his pillow, everything. His screaming woke nearly all of Headquarters, he had to slam his door shut and lock it to keep the people from seeing what he had become.

His senses became much more keen, he could see farther away than he used to. He didn't have to wear those thick-rimmed glasses anymore. His strength increased as he clutched the windowsill with his one arm, nearly crushing it. Soon the pain became so intense that his body gave in and lost consciousness.

When he awoke, he found himself in a small room, his arm wrapped in gauze. He did a double take as he saw that he had a right arm. That it was no longer a stump. This day was very identical to the day he lost his arm.

There wasn't even a window in the room. Not even a mirror. Nero looked around in confusion, trying to remember what had happened. The door in front of him opened slowly, and His Holiness walked in, followed by a man whom Nero came to recognize as the disgruntled Head of the Infirmary.

"Nero…" His Holiness spoke, "You're awake."

"What happened?" Nero said, panicked, "Why am I here? What's going on?"

"It took quite a while for us to get that door opened, but I assure you, no one else except myself and Agnus here, have seen what's become of you."

"What does that mean?" Nero asked quietly, looking down at his arm. He took in a deep breath. Sanctus grabbed a mirror, and handed to Nero.

He took it.

He looked at himself, and saw his horrifying transformation.

White hair.

Blue eyes.

He was so shocked that he dropped the mirror. It shattered into tiny little pieces. Agnus rolled his eyes and left the room, coming back with a broom.

Nero's breathing was loud and frightened. Yet he hadn't even seen the worst part. What was really underneath that gauze, wrapped so neatly across his arm. He didn't know exactly what to expect. Maybe he hoped that it would just be his arm, grown back.

Agnus didn't believe in taking it slowly. He took a pair of scissors and cut the gauze right off of Nero's arm. He looked in horror, wonder, at the claw. The rough red scales piled atop the smooth blue claw. It moved naturally, like an average hand, it was even the same size.

"…What happened to me?" Nero gasped.

"…It seems…that you've become a devil." Sanctus answered calmly. "Would you care to explain what happened to you yesterday? I don't believe this is just some random act."

"…Yesterday. I was walking home…and I saw _him_." Nero snarled.

"Him?"

"…Vergil. But…when I was about to attack him…he…he walked right through me. And I heard a whisper…" He gulped, not wanting to repeat exactly what he had heard, worried that it would scare His Holiness. "And then, that night, I felt something tugging at me, my head hurt, pretty badly. So when I got up for some aspirin or something, my arm started to hurt…like something was sticking from…" He paused, looking at his new claw again. He looked up at Sanctus, "Your Holiness…what's going to happen to me?" he said, tears dripping from his face, worry in his voice.

"You can't hide a brand new arm when everyone knows you as the One-Armed Knight." Agnus said. "With this story of yours, I'd say you were possessed, might just be best to dispose of you and tell everyone that you killed yourself. Wouldn't be hard, with all the blood in your room."

Nero turned pale and sick. He knew Agnus wasn't the nicest guy, but this was just going overboard.

"That's enough, Agnus…" Sanctus said, calmly. "There's no real reason to kill the boy when he hasn't done anything wrong. On the other hand, having a demon on our side would make our jobs easier." He smiled, "Ironic, isn't it, Nero? You, the One-Armed Knight, the dead weight, have become a being of supreme power…"

Power…

The word stung Nero's ears as he looked down, "I don't want power…" He whispered mournfully.

"How foolish, Nero. Strength is paramount in this world…without it, you cannot do anything."

**NERO'S THOUGHTS**

**But if that was in fact, true,  
then how did he, the One-Armed Knight  
manage to stay in the ranks and away from death?**

Nero looked down at his arm, and at Sanctus, "Your Holiness…what should I do?"

"Well. You can't possibly go out to the people and claim that you're a demon, now. We have to ease their minds, let them slowly adapt. Tonight, you will go in your room, make sure absolutely no one sees you. And you will stay in there until I tell you it's time."

"…So I'm just going to be locked in my room?"

"Unless you'd prefer to walk up to Credo to inform him you're alive, only to have him kill you in defense."

Nero cringed, he clenched his fists, "How long do you think it'll take for people to understand?"

"…I couldn't tell you. Not even I am sure how long this will take. If anything, you'll be lucky that Credo allows you back into his ranks, let alone near his little sister."

Nero's heart sank, he didn't even think of it. Kyrie. What if she never came to him again? What if she never spoke to him again? Never looked at him?

What would happen if he was to be locked in his room for the rest of his life?

Nero felt cramped. In that room. He saw that his sheets had been changed, but the crack in the windowsill and the bloodstains on the carpet were still there. He looked out the window as the crescent moon smiled down at him wickedly.

His arm glowed in the darkness. It kept him awake at night. He hated it, he wanted to just saw it off and return to his normal life.

And yet, he didn't.

He felt so free with two arms, he was getting used to having two arms, to eat with, to read with. Even a push up was easier with it. This strange arm made him wonder how he ever suffered with one. It became part of him.

This arm had made him a devil. But somehow it made him feel human. Normal.

**AND SO…**

**In the end, Nero called his claw the Devil Bringer.**

**It brought out the devil in him.  
It created a new feeling within.**

**And he couldn't have been more proud, or ashamed of it.  
**

There were guards at his door every hour. They were oblivious as to why they were guarding Nero's door, but they knew that they were not allowed to let anyone in, or Nero out.

Kyrie would visit him, they'd talk through the wooden door. Nero told her he was sick, and it was deadly, and extremely contagious. This only worried her more, but it was better than telling her that he was no longer human.

Kyrie was constantly on Nero's mind as he tried to wreck through the old church. After he finally broke the glass, he saw a strange tree next, blocking his path. Made up of various branches that snaked around numerous times making up a large thick trunk.

"Okay." Nero snapped, punching his fists together. He grabbed the first branch he could reach,

**WHAT HE DID NOT ANTICIPATE**

**The branch reached out for him.**

**It wrapped around his arm and the tree opened up.**

**It began to drag Nero inside.**

"Hey! Hey!" He screamed as his feet skidded across the ground. "Help me!"

Alastor and Ifrit ran over to him immediately, Ifrit burned the plant, causing it to withdraw as Alastor cut the branch on Nero's arm. It whitened and crumbled into dust as Nero breathed a sigh of relief. Ifrit grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"What breed of stupid are you?" He yelled. "You could have gotten your ass killed!"

"It looked like a normal tree…" Nero shrugged. Ifrit threw him roughly to the ground. "I'm just trying to get home, sorry if I'm not exactly thinking straight!"

"What the hell is so important about getting home that you have to act like a moron and almost get yourself killed? You want to get there, right? Then start thinking about what you're doing, so that maybe, you'll be able to make it through alive!"

Alastor examined the tree thoughtfully. He poked his hand toward the tree, the branches began to move toward him. They followed after his hand.

He pulled away before the branches leapt out and tried to grab him. He turned to Nero and Ifrit.

"Looks like we'll need to find a new way out…" He said, "Look at the door we came through."

Nero and Ifrit did so, seeing that the door was blocked by similar branches. Nero stood up and examined them, he turned to Alastor and Ifrit.

"Plants shouldn't grow this fast."

"Well, no. They're demonic plants. Echidna's probably…" Alastor froze. He stared at the ground, where the tree branches were beginning to slowly snake their way towards them, "Echidna…" He turned, and saw a flight of stairs, quickly he ran up them, shouting, "Come on! Come on! We got to get out of here! She's trying to trap us! Hurry! Hurry!"

The three of them ran up the stairs as the plants and vines began to crawl up the walls, after them. Outside the church, the three of them could hear the Jungle Dragon laughing. They ran up the stairs, on the other side of them there was a door, but the vines were closing in fast.

They surrounded them.

They were trapped.

Vines wrapped around arms and legs, they struggled to get them off, Ifrit burned the plants as fast as he could, but it was not fast enough. They grabbed his hands, holding him back. Ifrit was rendered useless.

Nero tried to fight them off as well, but his sword was no good against the vines as they attacked and wrapped around his leg, knocking him to the ground.

His breathing accelerated, he choked for air. In the back of his mind, he could hear a voice, calling out his name.

**A MOMENT OF DESPERATION**

**Nero's eyes glowed red.**

**His right arm began to clutch a handle as a sword combined together.**

**He swung the sword, and in a sudden darkness, the plants were all sliced perfectly.**

The sword disintegrated back into his arm, Alastor and Ifrit looked at him in pure shock, but there was no time as they rushed over to the other side of the church, opening the door before the vines could regenerate, they slammed the door shut and gasped for air.

Nero looked at the Devil Bringer, when he looked back up, he saw two faces, one frightened, one angered.

Give you a guess as to who's who.

Ifrit stormed up to Nero and grabbed his arm angrily. "Who the hell are you trying to fool?"

"What are you talking about?"

"How did you get Yamato?"

"Ya-what-oh?" Nero snapped, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Yamato…" Alastor whispered, "Nero, that's a very dark sword in your hands…how did you get it?"

"Dark sword?" Nero looked at his right arm, "I don't know why I have it. I never had it before…"

"Nero…that sword…the soul within it was not a very kind being. He could try to possess you, destroy you. We have to get it out before something happens to you."

"I'll do it." Ifrit said, grabbing Nero's arm roughly, Nero cringed in pain as he felt the sword being taken forcefully from his arm. Ifrit had it halfway out when Nero's body began to convulse. Blood poured out of his mouth as he retched .

**A REASSURING NOTE**

**I most definitely was **_**not**_** trying to possess Nero.**

**I had attempted it once, and failed.**

**Throughout the years with Nero, I decided that it was best  
if I did not try to overpower him, but instead help him.**

**Guide him as much as I could.  
He was in serious need of it.**

"W-what are you doing?" Alastor stammered, "Ifrit! I think you're killing him! Let go!"

Ifrit released the boy, the sword returned inside him. Nero fell to his hands and knees and coughed up more blood. He held his hands to his mouth. He could hear Alastor and Ifrit talking over his spasm.

"It was like…you were pulling the plug to his entire body!"

"As though, that sword is somehow the only thing keeping him alive."

And what did Nero think?

What crossed his mind as he stared at the clods of blood he had vomited out?

"Agnus…what the hell have you done to me?" He snarled, standing up. He looked at the ruined valley before them, and looked over at Alastor and Ifrit.

"…So, you think this Agnus guy did something to you. To, you know…make your body do this?" Alastor suggested.

Nero nodded, "If I've been sleeping for so long, God knows what the hell that bastard has done to me."

"…So…you were, I mean, in that castle…"

"I was nothing more than a lab rat to that son of a bitch."

Ifrit shrugged, finally taking note of some of the scars on Nero's arms, the large red scar on his neck. He closed his eyes, then opened them again. "…Sorry for doubting you…" He said. "It seems you're not really a bad kid."

"Don't worry about it." Nero replied, he looked at his arm, "I'm not sure what this sword's going to do to me, but if I'm not myself…slap me, or something."

Ifrit cracked his knuckles and smiled, "I'll do the honors."

"So…" Alastor said, looking around at the chasm, "Where to next?"


	8. Chapter 8

The cold, hard ground welcomed him with open arms as he cracked his head down. The moist smell of mold stung his nose, his twisted arm was in agonizing pain as he tried not to cry out. Blood was in his mouth as he spat on the floor. With his one arm, he forced himself up, to at least his knees. Slowly, slowly, he stood in the dark room.

There was a small light, a bleeding red as the sun sank away from him, wishing him luck. He clutched the bars of the window as he stared outside, watching as trees blew in the wind, their leaves running away and scampering in the breeze, as though they themselves didn't want to see him in pain.

"Dr. Dei will come to assist you and your arm in a few minutes." One of the knights spoke, leaving the prison room.

"Tell him I don't need help. Tell him to go jump off a bridge."

"That's not happening. Dr. Dei needs to assist you before you die of blood loss. If His Holiness wishes for you to be executed, he'd prefer it if you didn't curl up and die."

The large door slammed shut. Dante banged his fist against the wall. His fingers trembled in the pain, but he still had enough strength to at least leave a few cracks in the concrete. He wiped the sweat off his face, his heart was beating rapidly.

He looked around, all the other cells around him were empty, there was a desk outside of the bars and stairs that faced sideways from the cells. There was hardly any lighting, just a flickering light above his head.

Looking at the injured arm, he had to admit that he was in serious need of help. The blood was black, his arm was swollen, and he could tell that it was slowly getting infected. But why _him_? Why did it have to be this particular doctor? Weren't there others? Or were they all repulsed by the idea of helping him that Agnus was the only one giddy enough to take the job?

He dreaded as the steel door to the prison opened, and the large man entered, his young assistant following.

"Kyrie…" He whispered to himself, he glared at Agnus, "What is she doing here? She has nothing to do with this! This is between you and me, leave her alone!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Agnus smiled, "I was just hoping that I could use you as a demonstration, so that in the future, she'd know how to take care of a fractured bone." He looked down to Kyrie and patted her head, she trembled. "Now pay attention, dear."

Dante took a step back as Agnus unlocked the door to his cell and let himself inside. He grabbed Dante's broken arm and forced him to face Kyrie. Dante groaned in pain as Agnus held his arm out like a bar.

"You see this, Kyrie? See how his bone is puncturing the skin? This is called an open fracture, or a compound fracture."

"How cute, are you going to teach her how to disembowel someone next?"

Agnus ignored him, continuing with his lesson, "See how the blood has swollen and clotted here? His arm has become rather infected, wouldn't you say? That's very common in an injury like this, because the bone is exposed to debris and bacteria. That's why an open fracture must be tended to immediately."

Kyrie stood on the other side of the bars, staring in horror at them, she shivered, she began to turn her head.

"Don't look away, darling, this is important! You wouldn't want to miss any vital information, would you? Now look! Look at his arm, see how disgusting it is? He'll be lucky if it turns out that I don't have to cut it off."

Kyrie's hands began to shake, she stared in disbelief. Agnus smiled widely.

"I've got your attention now, don't I? Now, I'll have to clean this, but after I'm done, I'll have to align the bone in order to help it heal, this is called reduction." He twisted Dante's arm, he cried out, "Often, without anesthesia, this procedure is _extremely_ painful." He twisted it again as he spoke, his voice close to amusement, "As much, or even more, than breaking the bone itself!"

Dante's moans scraped at Kyrie's ears as she watched Agnus bend his arm. The blood and the bone were making her stomach churn, but Agnus would not let her look away.

He didn't want her to miss a thing.

Look at his arm.

Listen to his screams.

He's defenseless.

Where's your Savior?

"And I, as courteous as I am, will not even think of numbing the pain. I'll make sure that this man, this devil, that has done such horrible things to you will suffer for everything! Isn't that nice of me? Isn't it kind?"

"Stop it." Dante growled. Agnus twisted his arm again, he screamed and fell to his knees, but he continued, "Leave her alone! She doesn't need to see this!"

"Yes she does, she needs to learn."

**A LESSON**

**She had nowhere to run.**

**There was no one here to save her.**

"Kyrie…" Dante gasped.

"How dare you speak to her!" Agnus snapped, yanking at Dante's arm, "You have no right!"

"Kyrie, just go!"

Kyrie turned around and ran up the stairs. His voice followed after her.

"Don't you dare leave." Agnus growled menacingly.

"You don't have to see this! Just run!"

She stood, paralyzed by the decision . Should she run? Should she stay?

What was the point?

Either way, Agnus was going to harm her, and she preferred to not see Dante screaming in pain, trying to muffle his own cries of agony. Trying not to scare her. Even he knew he wasn't being convincing.

She ran up the stairs. Agnus and Dante were left alone in the cell. Agnus dropped his arm.

"You're a monster…" Dante gasped.

Agnus adjusted his monocle. "I know what I am."

"How can you do this to her? She has nothing to do with this! She's just a kid, for god's sake, leave her be!"

"She's the center of all this, she's seen far too much for me to let her live."

"You've done enough to her, don't you think? How can you live with yourself? How do you get any sleep at night?"

"…I hate it when my morals are questioned…"

"…Just tell me…_Dr._ Dei" He spat his title to the ground, "…when you found her in the castle…why did you do it?"

"Why?" Agnus said, staring at his hands wondrously. He smiled wickedly at Dante, "Because I wanted to! Because she was right there! Because she was so adorable, and so easy! You know yourself that she's not a fighter, she hardly scratched me! And how…beautifully she screamed…whimpering and crying." He mocked her voice, Dante's stomach churned, "'Nero, Nero! Help me! Help! Nero! Help me!' How pathetic she looked. What can I say? She aroused me…and I couldn't help myself. I'd do anything for a chance to do it again!"

"…You're sick. Hell itself would spit you out! You've destroyed her!"

Agnus chuckled, "I must thank you, Dante. You practically delivered her to me, twice! Just think about what you've done! We would never be in this mess if you just let her stay at the port and wait for her brother. It's really your own fault."

Dante stared at the floor, guilt blanketed him. A lot of things had happened because of him. He clenched his fist and heard the faint echo of a ghost. Begging him to avenge his tortured spirit. Dante thought of the last fight he had with the Ghost of Fortuna before he disappeared away, he wondered if he was watching him now, shaking his head, giving up on him.

Agnus noticed the look of guilt on Dante's face, and chuckled wickedly, "You hate it, don't you? You know you could have saved her, but you were too late. And just what were you doing? How much time did you waste? You're pathetic; people don't even revere you as a hero. And why should they? You do a lousy job at it. Now look…you sent Kyrie to her unwilling fate…three times, now. How sad. You can't even save a little girl, let alone yourself."

"Why do you do this to people? Really? Are you just…bored?"

"Don't change the subject, besides, I do what I do. I'm a doctor, I've lost a few lives in the struggle, but eventually, you get used to it. You know how it is."

"Shut up. You and I are nothing alike."

"Yes, I know. I couldn't bear to be compared to someone as pathetic as you. At least when I let someone die, the family thanks me for at least trying…" He laughed a little bit, "Even though…I often don't. I don't want this island to be too overpopulated."

"You sick-" Agnus stopped Dante, placing his foot on his back, forcing him down to the floor.

"And you? When you fail on someone, what do you get? Oh yes…an exile. A spit on the face. They hate you forever, and you actually put effort into saving people. At least, I thought you did. You really didn't hurry to save the little brat, did you? Such a shame, especially since she relied on you the most…seeing as she called out your name the most. Kind of annoying, really."

Dante's breathing was quickening. He clenched his fist and glared at Agnus, who gave him a pitiful look.

"Aw…Did I upset you? Well good, it seems someone has to finally put you in your place. But tell me. Dante…do you think things would be better…if maybe you were able to save your brother?"

The words tugged on his heart. Nearly yanked it out of him as guilt overflowed him. He stared at the ground.

It's pathetic…really, it is. I hated seeing how much it affected him. He would always act as though it was his fault, the guilt he felt for what happened to me. It wasn't him. And I'd love to slap him for it. I knew I was his weakness when I was alive, but in death, I still held that weakness…

I wish Dante would just get over it…forgive himself if he felt it was that bad. He really didn't need to.

**AN INTERESTING FACT  
Whenever Dante looked in a mirror,  
he always felt it wasn't him looking back.**

"Maybe if you saved him…maybe you wouldn't have had to kill him…though we both know you really wanted to."

"SHUT UP!"

"And there you go again…trying to run away from the truth…well, I think it's about time you faced your sins of fratricide."

"I…I didn't…kill him."

"Now, don't lie. Didn't your mother tell you it was rude to lie? Oh, right…she must have died before she got the chance, no wonder you're such a failure."

"I'm…not."

"You killed your brother."

"No! I didn't!"

Agnus laughed, he began to treat it like some sick game. "You killed your brother! Don't deny it! Say it with me! You killed your brother!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Murderer! Monster! Killer! Dante killed his brother! He killed him and he won't admit it! Come on! The first part of facing your problems is admitting them! Say it!"

"No!"

Agnus grabbed Dante's broken arm, and held it firmly, "SAY IT!" He yelled, a tone of delight in his voice, "Say it out loud! I! KILLED! MY! BROTHER!"

"NO!"

Agnus yanked on Dante's arm again, "Just say it, Dante! It's easy!"

"No…"

"Say it."

"At least I didn't chase off my wife!" Dante retorted.

Agnus dropped his arm, he backed away, a small look of horror on his face. "How…? What do you…?"

"…She hated you. Doesn't that suck? She hated you." Dante glared at Agnus, "Now stop your bullshit and do what you were told to do!" He held out his arm, "His Holiness demanded that you tend to my wounds…not fuck around with my head…"

Agnus grimaced, but knelt down and began to clean Dante's wounds, he held him still as he winced from the pain. As promised, Agnus did not use any anesthesia to realign Dante's bone. Agnus would chuckle as he held him steady.

"Look on the bright side…" He said, "If we were in Fortuna Castle, this would hurt a lot worse…"

"Like what you did to that poor kid?" Dante retorted, Agnus twisted his arm, scowling.

"Don't…" He spat. "Don't try to act like he was any of your business…"

"The Ghost of Fortuna…"

"THERE IS NO GHOST!"

"What's the matter, you afraid? You scared that an angry soul is coming back from beyond the grave to give you what you deserve?"

At this, Agnus punched Dante on the side of his head. He toppled to the ground as Agnus flexed his fingers, "There's no such thing as ghosts. You're just sounding like a fool."

"…You know you've been haunted…you're afraid of it, aren't you?"

"Afraid…of a ghost? How absurd, childish."

"You hate it when you hear the rumors about the ghost. Why?"

"That is none of your business…"

"And you're afraid of him…"

"Why would I fear someone who is dead?"

"…You're right…but that's the thing. You don't fear Nero, the Ghost of Fortuna, or anything like that, do you? Yet…you hate thinking about it…you hate hearing his name. Maybe, in the end, you fear karma. You're afraid that for all you've done, something's going to come back to get you."

"Just shut up and let me do my job." Agnus snarled as he continued to work over Dante's arm.

The steel door almost flew open with a loud _thud_. Agnus and Dante looked up to see a young knight, Agnus glared at him, but this didn't keep Aaron White from yelling.

"What did you do to her?" He screamed. His voice resonated across the prison. "She came back from this room paler than a ghost! What did you do to her? Why can't you just leave her alone? Can't you see that she doesn't want this?"

"Get out, this has nothing to do with you. Get back to your post or I'll report you." Agnus snapped.

"What did you do to Kyrie?" Aaron mumbled, "You've scared her. Can't you tell that she hates you?"

"I said get out!"

"She hates you. She doesn't want to be your little helper. Leave her alone."

"Get out!"

"…I'll inform His Holiness that you've done things that hurt her. I heard what you called her. You called her a whore."

Agnus' eyes widened, he opened the door to Dante's cell and advanced on Aaron, he grabbed the boy's collar. He held him up. "This is not your business…I'll inform your commanding officer that you were away from your post."

"Not after I tell His Holiness that you're a prick to his sister." Aaron whispered bravely, "I could even say that what you've been doing to her is much worse than what he's done to her." He looked over to Dante, who rolled his eyes.

Dante struggled to stand. "Kid…" He said, "Don't do it. Just leave it be. You don't want to get wrapped up in this mess…trust me."

"I don't take orders from you!" Aaron snapped.

Where his sudden bravery came from, I haven't a clue. He was usually a timid young man who wouldn't dream of back sassing anyone. Maybe he was fed up with everything. Maybe he was haunted too. By the spirits of his dead brother and dead father.

"But you take orders from me." Agnus snapped, "Now get out." He dropped the boy, who brushed himself off and smirked.

"Yes sir, I'll go straight to His Holiness…"

Agnus scowled, his hand moved quickly as it struck across Aaron's face. "You won't be going anywhere…not with that attitude."

"What are you going to do?" Aaron said, his voice beginning to tremble. "Are you going to arrest me?"

"White!"

Dante, Agnus, and Aaron looked at the stairs, an older man with his hood covering his face approached, Agnus sighed.

"I take it he's yours? He's been harassing me, and I need to get my job done." Agnus pointed over to Dante, who flipped him the bird swiftly.

Aaron's commanding officer stormed down the stairs, he and Agnus exchanged glances before he dragged Aaron out of the room, yelling about his post, disobedience. The door slammed shut before Dante could hear the rest.

"…Seems you're in a tight situation…" Dante snapped, "The kid at least has an idea of what you've done."

"Doesn't mean anything to me. The boy has no nerve whatsoever. And besides…He'll be taken care of soon enough."

"What are you going to do to him?"

"Nothing important. Nothing that concerns you, really." Agnus entered the cell again, "Now, let's get this over with. I'm getting sick with all this time that we're wasting."

**AN HONOR TO AARON WHITE**

**His commanding officer drags him to a room with a stone bed,  
others surround him as they force him to lay down.**

**Yellow eyes glare as he's strapped down.  
A rag is shoved into his mouth so that no one will hear him scream.**

**Then, the pain, surging through his body like an electric current.**

**He spasms, he chokes, he tries to yell out.**

**He worries about his mother, running her shoe shop in Fortuna.  
He's frightened for Kyrie, what Agnus may plan to do to her.**

**Then…nothing.**

Farther away from Aaron's tragedy or Dante's torment, Credo opened a door to a room with caution. He looked inside, and beckoned for the strange lady to come in, she wouldn't tell him her name, all she said was that she was called Lady. He didn't believe that it was her real name, but he played along.

She walked into the room and looked around at all the stuff, "…Do I have a roommate? Looks like this place is already taken."

Credo coughed, "…No. This…room needs to be cleaned out anyways, we've been dwelling on it for too long." He was quiet. It was almost three minutes later until he said, almost shamefully, "The person who used to live here…he…he's dead."

Lady turned around in shock, repulsion, and fear. "Dead? Well…" She looked around, then back at Credo, "He…he didn't die…in this room, did he?"

Credo shook his head, "He…died in Fortuna Castle."

Lady looked at the ground, at the blood stain on the floor. She looked back at Credo, who sighed.

"That's been there for two years, he tried to clean it off several times. I…I've been thinking about just….cutting the rug out."

"…Did you know him?"

Credo nodded, staring at the floor, "…Sometimes…I think he watches me. Sometimes…I feel…he's haunting me."

"Do you think he's mad at you?"

"Of course he is. He hates me. He knows…what I did. To my sister, I mean."

Lady wanted to ask, she felt she already knew.

He treats her like a dog, she wanted to say, but she couldn't. Credo wouldn't believe her, he'd only get angry with her, and she didn't want to start pointing fingers so soon.

Credo nodded, he shut the door, leaving Lady alone to examine the room. The walls were white, Lady figured that it was a very popular color in Fortuna. There was a closet right next to the door. The folded doors were closed. The bed was at least a queen size, to the right of the bed was a dresser, to the left, a wall. She could see that on the other side of the room there was a lavatory. Across from the bed was a desk and a bookshelf. It was almost overflowing.

**A FACT ABOUT NERO**

**He enjoyed reading, for the most part.**

**Though at least half of the books on his shelf were not finished.**

**Some of them were just average text books.**

**He read a lot while he was locked in his room.**

Next to the desk, a window. The windowsill was cracked, almost in the shape of a human hand, Lady ran her fingers across it. Wondering exactly whose hand this was.

She looked over at the dresser again, there were some pictures, all of them turned down. She walked over to them and lifted one up.

It was Kyrie.

Lady's mind clicked so loud you could almost hear it.

The boy from the ghost story. His young maiden. The haunting Credo felt.

She was in the room of the Ghost of Fortuna.

She gulped, setting the picture back down as she looked around.

"Sorry." She mumbled quietly, "I don't mean to barge in on you."

In the infirmary, Gloria was sleeping, her leg was propped up and she was almost covered in bandages. Kyrie stormed into the infirmary, wiping at her eyes and trying to steady her breathing. She looked over at Gloria. Middle row, third bed. She walked over to the woman who was once her second mother. She checked her breathing, everything was good as far as she could see.

She missed Gloria. She missed her warmth, her smile, her smirk, her laugh, the way she'd be there. Just, there. With her. No matter what was going on. Often Gloria's presence was all Kyrie needed when she felt overly-stressed or terribly sad.

She recalled something: Gloria had seen the picture of Dante that she had drawn. Did she know? That Dante was innocent? Would she wake up in time to tell someone that Dante was innocent?

No. There was no proof. Agnus tore up the picture she drew. Not to mention that Dante still had a serious strike against him: Murder.

Kyrie grabbed a chair and sat down next to Gloria, she watched as she slept so soundly. Heaven knew that Kyrie could barely sleep at night anymore. Her vision became blurry as she wept silently, she bent over and sobbed across Gloria's body, wishing she could sleep, or better yet, that she could wake. Wake up from this horrible nightmare.

But this was no nightmare.

This was reality, as bitter and broken as it was meant to be.

"Kyrie?"

Kyrie sat up immediately and wiped her eyes, Gloria put a hand on hers gently. "Honey, what's the matter?" She said sweetly, kindly, motherly. "Is something wrong? Kyrie, look at me…"

Kyrie could not look at Gloria, she rubbed her eyes and tried to hide the pain away, but there was no fooling Gloria. She knew there was something wrong as she forced herself to sit up.

"Kyrie." She said, firmly, "Look at me."

Her angry mother voice. Kyrie couldn't say no to that, and turned and faced Gloria with red, puffy eyes. Gloria pulled her close, she held her in her arms. She patted her back.

**TWO MINDS, ONE TRUTH**

**Kyrie Eleison and Gloria Patri.**

**They both had very similar wishes.**

**To be under Gloria's care.**

**To take responsibility for Kyrie.**

Credo entered the infirmary quietly, a bouquet of roses in his hand as he looked over to Gloria, embracing his sister. Gloria looked up at him.

"Credo." She said, her eyes looked over at the roses.

Kyrie turned, she saw her brother.

The one who had Dante arrested.

The one who allowed for Dante to be beaten when he was injured enough.

The one who prepared for his execution.

The one who put Agnus in charge of caring for his wounds.

**A NEW PHRASE FOR CREDO**

**Traitor.**

Kyrie stood up immediately, scowling at Credo, the traitor, as she stormed into the music room. The door slammed shut. Credo looked at the floor, he proceeded to Gloria.

"…She hates me." He mumbled, "I…don't know what I'm supposed to do! I've tried reasoning with her, but all she did was beat me. I wish I could make it all better for her."

"…Maybe you should ask Agnus to have her back."

"No, he'll tell me that I'm just…getting cold feet or something. And what would I do if she tried to kill me?" He sighed, "But, she trusts you, still."

"Your Holiness, I…" Gloria stammered, she tried to tell him, the truth, what she saw, but it was caught in her throat. "Are…those roses for me?" Was all she could say.

Credo seemed to have forgotten about them, he set them in Gloria's hands, "They are." He said, "…I'm sorry that I've been…rude. I guess I just didn't get it. I understand now."

Gloria put a finger to his lips, "There's nothing more you need to say."

"Gloria…" He whispered. He looked over at the small music room. "what do I do? How can I make anything up to her? I just don't understand her anymore. I'm terrified of her. I thought I understood her, I thought we understood each other. Now I'm lost. I don't know where to turn, anymore."

I'd tell him, if I could.

Turn away.

Turn away from what you believe, Credo.

Turn, and walk the other way.

Then it will all make sense.


	9. Chapter 9

Credo was sitting by Gloria, having a soft conversation with her before she became tired and rested her head on her pillow and closed her eyes, when Agnus walked back into the infirmary.

"Your Holiness?" He spoke softly. Credo turned around, Kyrie opened the door to her music room a little bit, glaring at Agnus. He walked over to Credo and handed him the keys to the prison, and whispered into Credo's ear.

Credo looked over at Kyrie, who tensed up, "Kyrie." He said, holding up the keys, "Could you do me a quick favor? Take these keys and put them in my room, I'll put them away, don't worry, just put them on my desk."

Kyrie looked over to Agnus, but took the keys from her brother, and walked out of the room. Credo watched her as she left. Agnus shut the door to the infirmary, Credo looked at him solemnly.

"What did he say?"

Agnus shook his head. "He was so cruel, Your Holiness. I asked him why he would do such a terrible deed to such an innocent little girl…and he just…bragged about how easily he took her down, even mocked her cries! He's such a monster."

Credo's fists tightened, you could see that he wanted to go down to the prison room, but it was getting late. Tomorrow he'd talk to him.

Gloria listened to their quiet conversation; she bit her lip in anger, knowing that Agnus was lying. She'd kill to tell Credo that he was lying, but she wouldn't be able to prove it, and what she could prove was what mattered. She had no proof.

Kyrie entered Credo's room, very surprised to see that it was empty. As she stared at the blank walls, she shook her head, having temporarily forgotten that Credo was Vicar; his room was where Sanctus' room was once.

As the name ran through her head, she realized that she felt no grief for the death of Vicar Sanctus. She was right there as he was shot in the face, yet, while it was once one of the most devastating things to happen to her, she suddenly had no problem with it.

**WHAT SHE FELT NOW**

**Relief.**

**A good feeling that Sanctus was dead.**

**A type of happiness.**

**Some sort of victory.**

Fortuna Castle, missing knights, Nero's death, her suffering, it all ran back to Agnus, but there was the horrifying truth that Sanctus approved of it. He _allowed_ it.

Kyrie walked to the Vicar's room, her head spinning as she thought of all the sympathetic things that Sanctus had once told her, the kind way he smiled at her, how he'd hold her and comfort her, telling her that he couldn't bring Nero back. That it pained him to see such a brilliant young man disappear so suddenly.

Yet he _knew_. He gave Credo the order to send Nero to Fortuna Castle because he _knew_ what would happen. He _knew_ that Agnus would find him. He _knew_ that Nero would get killed.

And he allowed it.

Kyrie opened the door to her brother's new room. She opened the door up to an office; there were some portraits of past Vicars. She looked closely at the portrait before Sanctus.

Vicar Solemnis. Died of illness.

She had a feeling that there was a lie buried in this text.

She looked at the portrait of Sanctus; she noticed that there was no portrait of Credo on the wall. Interesting, as Vicars were painted immediately. There was a picture of Sanctus on Credo's desk. She put the keys on the desk and picked the picture up, she threw it down. The glass shattered.

I hate you.

This is because of you.

I hope you're in hell, Solomon.

She stepped on the picture as she walked through the opening, to Credo's actual room. Kyrie wondered why he needed two doors. One door to his office, one to his bedroom. She stared at the door, remembering how she walked in on Credo and Gloria.

**A SISTER'S STRUGGLE**

**She did not hate Credo.**

**But she was so upset with him.**

**Maybe it was because he had learned to move on.**

**And she just couldn't work up the strength to do the same.**

**What she wanted most, was to go back.**

**Back to a time when she was still small,  
and Credo could pick her up with ease.**

**But now Credo had Gloria.**

Gloria was another reason she was upset with him.

She felt he had stolen Gloria from her. She wanted to grab Gloria's hand and shout "mine" and pull as hard as she could.

But if Credo had Gloria, who was Kyrie left with? Agnus?

She couldn't even think about Aaron.

He was a nice boy, but she still needed time before she moved on. And the more he talked to her, the more there was a horrible tugging on her heart.

I'm sure that if Dante hadn't kidnapped Kyrie, she'd move on. But it didn't work that way.

She saw horrors that no one deserved to be exposed to. Dead bodies hanging from a ceiling and a pained howling shaking the castle. A mirror, in which she saw the face of a boy she once loved. A ghost that had haunted her for who knows how long? His dead body. How she held his dead body in her arms, hoping to awaken him somehow. And there was the night, just before the devils began to cry and scream at each other, when Kyrie could have sworn she heard him call out her name.

As if this didn't make it harder to move on, there was still that.

Him. Agnus. His sweating body on top of her, the disgusting and revolting feeling of him being inside her, making himself comfortable. How he made the most sickening sounds of an animal, his fat lips pressing up against her body, his hands, large and rough and monstrous, feeling her, scratching her, making her bleed.

The absolute filth made her bawl. She hated when she thought about it, but it was still there, it had happened, and she couldn't fix it.

There were some nights when she'd wake up in a sweat from a nightmare, she'd lie down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, thinking.

How would it have been if it was Nero?

If he was to gently take her hand, lead her softly down, kiss her on the neck first, then work his way up to her lips. She would wrap her arms around him, feel his skin and draw him closer, running her hands down his back while he made himself one with her.

He'd ask her if he was hurting her.

She'd reply, "No."

And they'd continue to love.

She imagined Nero would have a red face at first, she knew that regardless of his mouth, he was still a very modest young man.

This sensual fantasy could bring her to tears rather easily, simply because she knew it would never happen.

She stared at Credo's room, over by his bed, his rather large bed, she saw a picture turned down. She walked over to it and picked it up.

The Eleison family portrait.

Credo looked so much like their father. Cecil's hair was longer, tied back in a ponytail, and his beard was over his mouth, but the resemblance was almost perfect. Then there was their mother, Katrina. Kyrie looked like her, as they said, Kyrie thought that it was only because she inherited her auburn hair. Her mother had blue eyes, Kyrie had her father's brown eyes.

Her father's knee was injured in a battle, he needed a walking stick from then on, and was only working at a desk at Headquarters. She remembered his walking stick, the way he'd half-limp around the house, regardless of his injury, he'd still pick her up and hold her. Her mother would scold him, a worried look on her face.

There were days when Kyrie wondered how her parents would have reacted to Nero. One-Armed Nero or Devil-Clawed Nero. Her father would have a problem with her dating a demon, even if he was once human, he'd be worried. Her mother would probably try to convince her father that there would be nothing to be worry about. No doubt the story of Sparda would surface.

Kyrie gasped, the thought of Sparda made her think of Dante, in the prison room, rotting away. She wondered what Agnus was saying to Credo. She knew that they were most likely lies. Maybe that was why she was sent away, because Agnus didn't want Kyrie to hear it and try to rebel.

The most terrifying part about this ordeal was the fact that Credo was convinced Dante took her innocence away. That Dante was the reason she was mute, the reason she was "insane". She wished she could tell him, because she was afraid about what would happen between the two of them.

Dante promised that he wouldn't hurt Credo, but Credo promised to put Dante in his grave.

Kyrie hugged the portrait. Wishing her parents were here, wishing they'd calm Credo down. Or would they be upset with Dante, as well?

The door to Credo's office opened, and His Holiness himself walked in, looking at the keys on his desk, and accidentally stepping on the broken picture of Sanctus. He looked over to his bed and saw Kyrie.

"Agnus," He whispered, "She's right there, you should go get her."

Agnus, who had been following Credo, looked in and saw Kyrie. She looked up at them, then back at the portrait.

"Kyrie…" Agnus said, "Go to your room, it's late."

Kyrie nodded, and jumped to her feet, taking the portrait with her. Credo was about to follow her, confused as to what she had in her hands. Soon he noticed that the knocked over picture on his nightstand was gone, replaced by paper. He picked it up.

**A MESSAGE**

"_**If you don't want to look at it,  
then I'll take it."**_

Credo sighed, he set the paper down and stared at the floor. He didn't know what to do about her. He watched as Agnus picked up the broken portrait of Sanctus, he looked over at Credo.

"Her faith is slipping." Agnus said quietly, "It's not a very good sign."

"And what do you want me to do?" Credo said, "I can't try to make her believe again."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow." Agnus mumbled, leaving the room.

Kyrie ran through the halls, trying to get to her room before Agnus caught up to her. As she ran, she saw a light.

Coming from Nero's room.

Maybe there was a small spark of hope.

She didn't know what to expect as she turned around and opened Nero's door.

She was crushed, but knew what not to expect, as there was a woman in Nero's room. The woman who tried to lie in order to keep Dante safe. She gasped and covered herself, as Kyrie opened the door when she was changing into pajamas.

Kyrie shut the door immediately. She was about to leave, when the door opened a little bit. The woman looked at her through the small crack.

"Kyrie Eleison?" She whispered. Kyrie nodded, "I know who you are…he told me." Her voice was low as she spoke, "The man in red." Kyrie nodded again, a little more curiously. "Will you come in?" The woman asked. Again, Kyrie nodded, looking over her shoulder, hearing large footsteps approaching. The door opened, and the light of hope shone upon the choirgirl as she quietly entered the room.

Lady was in a white nightgown that Credo offered to her, Kyrie noted the red eye and the green eye, making her a little more cautious. Agnus had called her Mary Ann. Dante's little slut. A harsh name to call someone, but it made Kyrie confident that this woman was indeed, on her side.

"I'm sorry." The woman said, "I know…that this was…his room."

Kyrie looked at her in disbelief.

"Dante…he told me about you…and the Ghost of Fortuna. Kyrie…that man…he called me Mary. But my name is Lady. Just Lady." Kyrie nodded in understanding. "Dante…he called you Choirgirl; that's okay, right?"

Kyrie nodded, the name gave her a kind of strength. It somehow made her feel alive. Dangerous, even.

"…Choirgirl?" Lady spoke, "Are you getting all this?"

The door behind them opened. "She doesn't speak." Agnus said calmly. He looked down at Kyrie, and at Lady. "So… 'Choirgirl'? That's a bit of a cruel thing to remind her of, seeing as she's not going to be speaking again, anytime soon."

"Didn't anyone teach you how to knock?" Lady snapped. "What do you want?"

"I want my charge back." Agnus replied, smiling, "She's not safe around others, you know. She's mentally unstable, as pretty as she may be. And quite vicious, if I may add."

Lady crossed her arms, "I'll bet she is, when you're around. And if that's the case, then the two of us are going to get along just great."

"She attacked her own brother, poor man was bleeding like crazy, and all he was trying to do was help her."

"Maybe she didn't want his help."

Agnus scowled, "Stop arguing with me. Kyrie, come on. Off to bed."

"She's not your property." Lady snapped.

Agnus grabbed Kyrie's hand and sneered at Lady, "And what are you going to do about it? Are you going to stop me, Mary?"

Lady tensed, "If you hurt her…"

Agnus snickered, "It's a little late for you to make that threat, don't you think? Why don't you rest your weary little head? I'm sure that after sleeping on rock for so long, you must be dying for such luxury. All while your partner is left to sleep in the prison room. Sleeping on cold concrete with only the rats to keep him company."

"…Why do you take such pleasure in hurting her?" Lady said, sickened.

Agnus smiled, he held Kyrie's face in his hands, facing her towards Lady, "Look at how innocent she is…she's willing to do everything I tell her. Why, when I think about it…she's just like your mother. Wouldn't you say? Just like my beloved Kali. Before she left me."

"She was a smart woman-"

"The hell she was." Agnus snapped, "I wouldn't have killed her, like he did." He smiled at Lady's suddenly pained expression, "Oh, what's the matter? You still have nightmares about the night Daddy killed Mommy?"

"Shut up!"

"Gladly." Agnus snickered, closing the door, taking Kyrie with him. He practically dragged her across the halls of Headquarters, before throwing her in her room, she stumbled to the ground, but lifted herself very quickly. Agnus glared at her.

"Now you listen very carefully. I don't want you to go near that woman, ever. I don't care what she says. I don't care what's wrong, you stay away from her, I mean it."

The door slammed, Kyrie ran over to it and tried to open the door, but it was too late, Agnus had locked her in. She pounded on the door loudly, hoping to catch someone's attention. Agnus wasn't going to allow that, he looked around, made sure no one was watching, and let himself back in Kyrie's room.

She tried to run past him, but he grabbed her and threw her on the floor. Closing the door, he advanced on her and grabbed her wrists. It wasn't hard to tackle her to her bed.

"Stop it." He hissed, "You pound on that door like that again, and I swear I will kill you."

Kyrie thrashed against him, but Agnus had a good grip. He began to smile, Kyrie's heart raced as he spoke. "You do realize exactly what kind of position you are in, right now? Do you understand how easily I could have my way with you, again?"

Tears fell. She nodded.

"You wouldn't want that to happen again, would you?"

She shook her head. Agnus frowned.

"How rude of you to disregard my feelings! What about what _I _want?"

She held her breath, to try to not breathe too fast, scared that he would then do what she feared he would do. She closed her eyes, she turned away, trying not to see him, hoping that he would leave her alone. She felt his lips press against her cheek. She wished she could scream as once again, he began to grope her.

He kissed her neck, biting down on occasion. She could feel him pressing against her, she tried to kick him off, he brushed her leg away.

"Stop it." He moaned, "Stop it or I will. I will do it, Kyrie. I will."

Kyrie lay still, but it still happened. Her nylons went down first, she tried to fight him as she struggled to get out of his grip. Then, her undergarments next. And then it came. She could feel him squirming around inside her. She lay still, mortified, her heart racing, her head screaming.

She wanted to pray. Believe me, she truly wanted to. But the problem was that there was, in fact, _no one_ to pray to. No God. No Sparda. Why bother praying to Nero when he didn't do anything the last time? What was Dante going to do? Locked up in that cell? Gloria, with a crushed leg?

She clawed at him, she tried to punch him, but he was too big, she barely left a welt. Agnus chuckled, breathing down her neck, "You're such a cute little thing." he breathed, running his hand down her belly, "You're just like her…just like my beloved Kalina Ann, my wife…my beautiful wife."

Agnus smiled as he looked at Kyrie's terrified face, "Yes! Yes! Just like that! She'd look at me the same way! Those eyes." He frowned, he scowled, "…You have your father's eyes." There was no warning as he suddenly slapped her, "I hated your father. Pretending to be friendly. I knew he just pitied me! Even your brother!" He lifted himself up and put his pants back on, Kyrie stayed down, shocked. "And worse…you had to try to fall for that brat, Nero, didn't you? He was no better than his father." He smiled. "Speaking of…how does it feel? Wasn't seeing Dante, your _Savior_, Dante, in that cell so much fun? Do you still love him? Hmmm? Are you going to try to confess your love for him? Don't bother. He'll be gone in four days…" He smiled even wider and began to laugh coldly, "As will Credo, and Gloria, and that whore, Mary. And then…and then." He brushed his hand across her cheek. Kyrie's heart was racing, he pressed his lips on hers and began to kiss her again, his tongue exploring her mouth, she wanted to struggle, but knew it was better not to. She waited until he was done.

When he was gone, Kyrie ran immediately into the shower, the water was hot as it could be, it scalded her body as she stayed underneath the stream and washed herself over and over and over again, she began to sob. She slapped her hands on the shower walls, convulsing, sobbing. She slid down and was on her knees, one hand helped her balance while the other hand covered her face as she sobbed and bawled and tried to scream.

Someone.

Anyone.

Save me.

Please.

I'd pat her head, I'd whisper in her ear. I'd do whatever I could to tell her that someone was coming to save her. But I didn't have a strong presence here in Purgatory like Nero had. Such a shame, really.

**FOR THE RECORD**

**Kyrie wasn't the only one.  
There was another who had nightmares  
about Fortuna Castle.**

Now, picture yourself in a small cell. You look out the barred windows, hold your hands out to reach the falling snow and ash. Notice how your arms are both heavily damaged…as though torn apart by scalpels and scissors and other knives.

The large steel door behind you squeaks as it opens and your heart begins to race, you try to run, regardless of the fact that there is nowhere to run. This cell is far too small. Hands clamp onto your leg as you are swept off your feet and land face first on the cold concrete, you taste blood, but you don't care as you try to grab something, anything as you are dragged away.

Nero woke up abruptly, screaming and gasping. He held his hand up to his chest, looking at the dreadful scars. He wiped the sweat and tears from his face. There was a small sense of comfort as he looked around, the fire he was sleeping near was nearly dead now, to his left, Ifrit was curled up, sleeping soundly with his hands as his pillow. Alastor was nowhere to be seen.

"What's wrong?"

Nero gasped as he looked up. Standing on a large rock was Alastor, there was something blue glowing on his arm. Nero stood up and stared at the small blue bat resting on Alastor's hand.

"What is that?" Nero asked.

"My baby…" Alastor cooed, stroking the creature as though it was a pet, currents of electricity was traded between the two of them, almost like they were speaking to each other in some strange way. Alastor looked back at Nero, "What was wrong?" he asked again, "Did you have a nightmare?"

"No, it's just natural for me to scream in the middle of the night." Nero replied sardonically, Alastor nodded.

"Was it about that castle?"

Nero paused. He stared at the ground, "…Yeah. It was…"

Wandering around the chasm earlier, Nero had found an ancient device used long ago by the early knights of Fortuna, creating a floor made from concentrated energy, allowing them to cross the chasm, as soon as they made their way across, they found themselves at a river, the Lapis River. From there, they decided that it would be a fine place for them to relax, though Nero couldn't quite understand why Alastor and Ifrit decided to stay as far away from the water as possible. (Though it should have been rather obvious.)

Now Nero watched the dark ground as Alastor continued to have a conversation with the bat. "Nero…" He said, "When you get to Headquarters, what exactly are you going to do?"

"That's a stupid question." Nero sneered, "What else am I going to do? I'm going to find that bastard who did this to me…and I'm going to kill him."

"…Are you?" Alastor turned and faced the boy, "After what he's already done to you? Do you think he won't be able to do it again?"

Nero's mouth dropped open, "I…but…"

"Nero…You have to rethink what you're doing, if he could take you down then, I won't be surprised if he can do it again. After all, look at you…you're confused; you've been sleeping for how long? You barely have any energy. Nero…You shouldn't do this, I don't want you to get hurt."

Nero glared, "Kind of odd for a devil to have sympathy, don't you think?"

Alastor snickered at this, "That's a bit of a contradictory thing for you to say, don't _you_ think?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Sparda. 2000 years ago he saved you humans, you worship him as a god for his acts of kindness, yet here you are, snapping at me, like I'm not supposed to have any feelings, you didn't once consider that I could be like Sparda, did you?"

Nero shook his head, he climbed up the rock and saw what Alastor was seeing, the forest, covered almost in complete darkness, a little light here and there, but very dim.

"You know something?" Alastor said quietly. "In all honesty…sometimes humans scare me."

"What?"

"They always talk about how demons like me are evil and cruel…but you know…you guys were above us first. And…I've seen the things humans do to each other…it scares me…how cruel they can really be."

Nero thought about Agnus…how he seemed to be human. Once. Yet still, he understood what Alastor was saying, he stared at himself, he understood. There were moments when Nero was afraid of humans as well, even though he was the demon.

"Sorry…" He mumbled.

"You should only be sorry if you let my secret out." Alastor said, putting his fingers to his lips. Nero nodded.

"…What are you doing awake, anyways?"

Alastor smiled, "I prefer the midnight." He said as he threw his hands up, the blue bat flew into the sky, and to Nero's amazement, many more of the blue bats flew out to the sky from different areas of the forest, they swirled in formation as lightning struck the forest, violet lightning lit up the dark sky perfectly, Nero gasped as he watched in horror and amazement.

The forest was beautiful, and horrifying.

Dante woke up to the sounds of thunder and the flash of lightning. He struggled to lift himself and looked out the barred window, he smiled wryly.

"Al…you'd better stop screwing around and help me out of here…"

And so, the clock ticks away the time on Dante's life.

**TIME UNTIL THE EXECUTION**

**89 hours**

**15 minutes**

**45 seconds**


	10. Chapter 10

The next day, Agnus was in a disturbingly pleasant mood. It was a terrifying sight for anyone to see, the doctor, the easily angered doctor, humming happily was he wandered around headquarters, treating his patients with a horrifying smile.

He walked over to Gloria, who had woken up, she was looking pale, her hands were shaking, sweat was pouring down her face as she breathed quickly, and painfully.

"How are you feeling, Gloria?" Agnus said happily. I don't know if it was Agnus' sickening mood, or if Gloria was truly ill, but either way, Gloria's response was to vomit over the edge of her bed, coughing and gagging, her breathing strained. Agnus nodded, "I see." He mused, his good mood hardly deteriorated as he walked into the supply closet and got her a bucket to vomit in.

He mopped the mess up, whistling as he did so. His good mood certainly confused Gloria, as well as scared her. As he finished, Agnus left the infirmary and headed to Kyrie's room. He unlocked the door and let himself in.

Kyrie was sleeping with her face in her pillow, her hair was matted and tangled, she looked pained as she slept, she was shivering, reaching her hands out again as she had yet another nightmare.

Agnus patted her back, "Kyrie." He chimed, "Darling, it's time for you to wake up."

Kyrie's fists clenched as she awoke, she knew who was hovering over her, and she was so willing to hurt him, if only she could, though. She lifted herself up; she didn't dare to look at Agnus. She was very upset about what had happened last night. And who could blame her? Even I was disgusted with him.

"Kyrie..." Agnus said, "Get dressed. Can't have you doing work in pajamas."

Kyrie didn't move, she stared at the wall, waiting for him to leave, something he didn't do as he put his hand on her shoulder. She tried to shake him off, but Agnus wouldn't move. He smiled.

"What's the matter?" He cooed, "You seem so upset. Did you have a bad night's sleep? Nightmares?"

Kyrie's nails dug into her pillow, she still refused to look at him as she grew angrier and angrier. She was patient. Waiting for him to leave, she knew he'd have to sooner or later, he had the Infirmary to run. He had a job to do, he couldn't just leave it unattended.

His mood wasn't even a little bit phased as he nodded and left her room, unlocking the door for her as he left. She turned as he left, still angered. She sighed heavily, and began to sob, just a little bit, terror was rising in her, mixing in with all the hate she had for him, she didn't know what to do with these mixed emotions.

She dressed herself, constantly wiping away her tears. Constantly splashing herself with cold water, trying to calm herself down. She took in deep breaths, holding her hands to her chest, listening to her own heartbeat, waiting for it to slow down.

She was so scared about what she was going to do. There was a dark plot in Agnus' mind, he told her that he'd spare Credo and Gloria if she was to behave, but it seemed the deal had vanished now that Dante had been captured. What was he going to do with Dante? What did he want him for? And if he accomplished his goal, what was he going to do? What exactly was Agnus planning? But the question that truly had Kyrie scared was what Agnus wanted to do with her.

These questions racked at her brain as she walked to the Infirmary drudgingly. On her way there, she saw Aaron White. He was just standing in the middle of the hall, looking at Kyrie with a solemn expression. She paused; they stared at each other for a while. Aaron fidgeted with his hands; he stared at the floor, and continued walking.

**TWO PAINED WORDS  
"I'm sorry."**

Kyrie watched him as he walked away, confused, wondering what had happened to him, she knew that he had confronted Agnus, even though she begged him not to, she didn't see what happened to him as she walked to the Infirmary later.

Now she was regretting not stopping Aaron. He looked like...something terrible had happened to him. He looked scared, more scared than he usually looked, no, he usually looked nervous, now he was looking terrified. Kyrie's heart began racing again as she wondered just what it was that Agnus did to him. It wasn't as though Aaron knew anything, or so she hoped.

She walked into the Infirmary, watching as Agnus smiled as he opened some of the blinds of the windows, letting in more light than usual.

He turned to Kyrie and smiled, "Good, you're here." He said, picking up his clipboard and checking things off. He looked up temporarily and pointed her over to the music room. Kyrie clutched the handle of her violin case and walked inside, where she saw on the piano a plate of food. Hash browns, scrambled eggs, milk. All laid out for her. The smell burned her nose. She tried to walk away, slowly moving backwards, she bumped into Agnus' chest.

"I've been hearing rumors that you were stealing food, and I've been worried about your diet. So I brought you breakfast."

Kyrie shook her head; she wouldn't go near the plate, no matter how good it looked. Agnus pushed her forward; he shut the door to the music room.

"You won't eat?" He said, almost baffled, "You need to eat something; I've been worried about you! You haven't been fasting, have you?"

Kyrie did not respond, she clutched her violin case close to her chest. It was true, Kyrie had refused to eat. Maybe it was her way of slowly killing herself. Maybe she was sick of being treated like nothing. Every now and again, though, she would succumb to her hunger and steal a dinner roll, sometimes from His Holiness himself.

A lot of people were beginning to notice that Kyrie had lost a lot of weight, though at first it was blamed on her traumatic experiences in Fortuna Castle, but she refused to flesh out when she returned.

"Kyrie, you must understand, it's not healthy. You need to eat some food"

Kyrie shook her head rebelliously. She was tempted, but she wouldn't give in.

Such a foolish girl, that Kyrie.

There was nothing else that Agnus could do; he only could prove to her that she was weakened, and lightly kicked her in the back of the leg, she fell over immediately, her hands barely broke her fall.

There was a return of the cruel Agnus as he smiled, and spoke menacingly, "Now...let's see how difficult it is for you to stand up..."

Now, Kyrie may have been able to get out of her bed, but there was a headboard there for her to clutch onto. Here, she struggled to lift herself. Her arms shook violently; soon, she fell to the ground.

Agnus smiled, "That's what I thought..." he chuckled. He picked Kyrie up with ease, to her horror, her violin case slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. She reached out for it, she struggled as she tried to grab it, Agnus only held her more firmly in his grasp, he noticed that she had dropped the case, and adjusted his monocle.

"Why do you care so much for such a petty thing? You get so upset when you leave it behind."

He left the room and set her on a bed, closest to the music room, and far away from the Infirmary door. She tried to climb out; it didn't take much of Agnus' strength to keep her down. Sighing, he walked into the music room and came back with her violin case; he set it next to her bed, slightly scowling. He then retrieved the violin and put it on the table attached to her bed. He handed her a fork.

"Now eat." He ordered. "A little fat isn't going to hurt you. It'll do you good to put some food in that tiny belly of yours."

She still remained rebellious and threw the fork to the ground. She crossed her arms and turned away. Agnus sighed; he picked up the fork and wiped it clean. He turned to Kyrie, still looking away from him.

"You leave me no choice, then." He chuckled again, sitting himself next to her bed. He took the fork and stabbed at the food, he grabbed her cheeks and squeezed them so that her mouth opened, and he fed her. She tried to spit it out, but he clamped his hand over her mouth. "Chew." He said quietly, "Swallow."

She chewed reluctantly, she hated admitting that she hadn't eaten a decent meal in a long time, and this wasn't too bad. But she hated having to give in.

Regardless, she preferred to not have Agnus force feed her like that again, and when the next forkful came, she opened her mouth, she obeyed his orders. He patted her on the head.

Good Kyrie. Good girl.

Pat. Pat.

Kyrie soon noticed it as well, Agnus' sickeningly good mood. She wondered why he'd be so happy, though it was obvious that Agnus enjoyed everyone's misery.

Credo walked into the infirmary, he saw Gloria, breathing in a pained manner, her hands were shaking, Credo walked up to her, he looked over at Agnus, busy feeding Kyrie. "What's happened to her?"

Agnus shrugged, "She's become weak, I'm feeding her to help her regain her energy."

"Not her! I don't care about her! I'm talking about Gloria!"

Kyrie's heart sank, Agnus put the fork down and looked over to Credo and Gloria.

"She's fallen ill." He said calmly, "Nothing more, she just needs rest, and fluids. Calm yourself, Your Holiness."

**MY DIAGNOSIS  
It was something in her water.**

Kyrie couldn't eat another bite, she brushed the fork away as Agnus tried to feed her again. He sighed, but figured she had eaten plenty for the moment. He put the plate away and walked over to Credo and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Your Holiness." He said, "She'll be fine, what you should be worried about is the Red Assassin. You were planning to interrogate him weren't you?"

Kyrie looked over to the two men; she slightly began to understand, then. Agnus was in a giddy mood because he knew that Credo would be interrogating Dante. And Credo was still under the impression that he was the one who harmed Kyrie.

Dante was in trouble. Things could even get worse...Credo could move Dante's execution date to today. And that was probably what Agnus wanted. Kyrie thought of Agnus' cryptic words, she looked over at Gloria's shivering body. She began to worry. She grew terrified, even more than before.

Dante was resting in his cell; his right arm was in a sling as he tilted his head up towards the ceiling. He counted bricks to cure his boredom, the ticking clock drove him mad, his left fingers tapped in rhythm. As he sighed loudly, he heard the steel door opening. His stomach growled, and Dante couldn't help but yell:

"Is it breakfast time yet?"

Credo, Kyrie's brother, as Dante recalled, walked down the stairs and scowled at him. "So glad that you have your priorities in order." He snapped. He examined the room, the assassin's coat and weapons, even his gloves, which had been burnt and cut up, had been removed and put on the desk before him.

Dante smiled, almost friendly-like. "I see you're back for a rematch. As much as I love a good spar, I'm afraid I'm a little tied up at the moment, so you'll just have to wait."

Credo scoffed, "You're in the wrong position to be mouthing off like that, don't you think?"

"Nope." Dante replied, looking at the ceiling again. "I'm never in the wrong spot."

"Well then, good, I suppose that means you're in a good spot for an interrogation."

Dante nodded, still looking up at the ceiling, "I can already guess the first question: why did I kill the old man?"

"That 'old man' was one of the greatest leaders Fortuna's ever known!"

"…How long has he been in rule?"

"Since before I was born."

"Then how do you know that he was the best ever? And you can't use yourself as an example."

Credo glared at Dante, rather flustered. "Why did you attack our people?"

"I didn't attack 'your people' I never touched any civilians, my main target was the old man, and anyone else who got in my way."

"Why did you kill His Holiness?"

"I didn't kill His Holiness, he's standing in front of me."

"You know exactly what I mean!" Credo yelled.

"…I do? What makes you so sure, Your Holiness?"

"…Do you think you're funny? Is that it?"

"…Is this a trick question?"

"Why did you attack Fortuna? What was your motivation?"

"Motivation? I didn't have any. I didn't attack Fortuna. I only shot an old man and killed some soldiers."

Credo remained calm, he looked the Red Assassin in the eyes, he knew he was playing him, he was asking the wrong questions. He had to find the right question to ask him, otherwise he'd continue to play with his mind.

"…Why did you come to Fortuna?" He asked, trying to keep calm. The Red Assassin smiled, he must have asked a good question.

"I came here to retrieve what was mine." The Red Assassin replied.

"And what exactly was that?"

"A sword. It belonged to my father. Someone stole it from me and took it back here."

"And that was why you shot Vicar Sanctus?"

"Of course. He ordered for it to be stolen."

"And did you get your sword back?"

"Nope. I went in hiding afterward, realizing that I wasn't going to get it back right away. I planned to come back later, but something else happened. Scarecrows attacked the town and tore it a new asshole. People were frantic, screaming."

"Hold on. You didn't send those demons to attack us?"

"No. And I didn't send the ones just before you caught me."

Credo clenched his fists, he shook his head. "Carry on, then."

"I shot some of them. But afterward, I realized the town was empty. I would have loved to hang around, but I decided that I might as well get a few things…supplies. I got information on that castle, decided to make my way there after I gathered a few more things. Directions and what-not. I realized that through the castle I would be on my way to the Order of the Sword Headquarters, and decided on that route.

"On my way there, I crossed a port, I saw a girl, I ignored her…in a way. I noticed she was just staring at the ocean, but it was getting dark. I didn't want to leave her there. Soon enough, a more demonic species of scarecrow attacked, it's body large and round and covered in blades, it came straight for her, she ran off, and I batted the thing away. Across the bridge, I saw the control room, I shot it, and the bridge rose up, keeping those large Scarecrows from crossing. They don't swim, you know. I entered the hills, hoping to find her and lead her back to the port, but before I could find her, a demon came out of some wall thing.

"It attacked the place, setting several of the houses on fire, and I noticed the girl running away, deeper into the mines, I decided to follow her instead of fighting the demon. She was a lot faster than me, so she was gone by the time I made it to the near end of the mines, the demon tried to collapse the entire area on me. I was lucky to make my way out. Slowly recovering, I heard her scream, and I ran over to protect her from the snow beasts. I had dealt with them several times before I came to this island, why they were here, I don't know."

"What were they?" Credo asked curiously.

"Frosts. Elite warriors of the Demon Emperor. The last I had seen them, I was struggling to make my way through Mallet Castle."

"Mallet Castle? Is the sword you're searching for…Yamato?"

Dante shook his head, "Not really, but knowing it's here as well…I'd like that back as well…it belonged to my brother before he died."

"Your brother?"

"He died two years ago…on Mallet Castle."

"Mallet Castle was destroyed when we made our way there."

"Yeah…that's because of me…I destroyed the castle keeper, so his spell on the castle faded, and it fell to ruins, as it was meant to be."

"Continue your story."

"She was injured, so I healed her with a demon's green fluid. And I brought her into the castle, since there was no going back. She wasn't too happy with me, so I let her wander on her own for a while."

"You LET her? ALONE? Do you have any idea how dangerous Fortuna Castle is?"

"I do now, but a few days ago I thought it was all just bullshit to keep people away. Nothing attacked her…for a while, at least. The first thing that attacked us, really, was a dog. Not just a dog. A dog that's head…was on fire. It screeched and made the most deafening of sounds before it attacked. It's head burst out, soaring like a bullet, and it's head was able to regenerate. "

The Red Assassin held out his hand, there was no glove on it, Credo noticed that his hand was slightly scarred from burns…and vertical slices, as the Red Assassin flipped his hand back around, Credo noticed another scar on his hand.

"See? This was what happened when I grabbed one's face…"

"You have a lot of scars on your hand."

"I work hard."

"Continue."

"After I got rid of the dogs, I forced the girl to stay with me. I tried not to be too rough. I led her into the library, blocked the exits, to keep her from running away, to keep the demons from intruding. Eventually…I found some interesting information, mainly on a young man who used to live here. Apparently…according to her…his name was Nero."

"…And what did that information have to offer?"

"…You'd think I was crazy if I told you. But after that…after that…we entered…there was a room. With bodies hanging from cages. And the floor was creviced…we were standing ankle deep in blood and waste. I carried her across, there were bodies in the cages, deformed, destroyed bodies. It was…a torture chamber. And right above it, right next to it…was a room. With a brightly burning fire, a nice, well-made bed with a tea set. And just across from there was a graveyard.

"From there on, we headed to the courtyard, she pointed out something in the distance, another wall. Like the demon from the mines came out of. She said that it resembled the Hell Gate, knowing what would happen, I sent her out of the courtyard, and another demon attacked me. This time, I tried to fight it off. Just as I was about to finish it off, I fell through a large hole. I barely landed on my feet.

"I looked around, seeing all the metal, the contraptions around. Then the ceiling closed above me, and the fan below me stopped spinning, a poisonous gas was released as it became painful to breathe. I noticed a door nearby, and entered. Soon after, I could hear the girl screaming. Screaming out names of those dear to her. I began to run, I was blocked by a wall, and more demons….these ones were fish-type things, with razor sharp fins. The cut the wall down, allowing me to go through, but they attacked me, and I had to kill them off first. As I did so, I had to force myself through another locked door.

"Opening the door to the new room, there was a sign that said 'it's time to play'. Before I knew it, the room was filled with lasers, and I had to maneuver through them all as I tried to find the switch to turn them off. All the while, more of the dogs were attacking me, luckily the lasers cut them to ribbons before they could grab me…I could still hear her screaming. It was still painful to breathe. I turned the lasers off, her screaming had stopped. I was worried…that whatever had happened, I was too late."

Credo was a pale white at the words that the Red Assassin had said, though he wasn't sure whether to even believe him or not. What about what Kyrie had tried to explain to him? What was it supposed to mean?

Credo considered the possibility that…he had accused wrong. Maybe he was wrong. How long had people been going missing in Fortuna Castle? Before the Red Assassin was around?

"…What were you too late for…?" He asked the Red Assassin quietly, "What happened?"

"…You know what happened." He replied curtly, glaring at Credo. "You can't tell me you don't. Do you know…what I went through…just to save her?"

"…You know…you know who's behind the missing cases in Fortuna Castle…don't you? You may be a terrorist, but you're still a survivor. Tell me…tell me who's responsible! Tell me!"

"…It was an average man…not even average. He was a monster. He was planning to kill her, right after he did it. He almost succeeded, too. You should be happy that I showed up when I did."

"Tell me who he is!"

"I don't need to tell you. You already know who he is. He's all around you. He's everywhere. In fact…he's right behind you…"

Credo's heart skipped, and slowly, he turned around, to see who was behind him. He gasped and clutched his heart as he took a deep breath.

"Agnus!" He called, "What are you doing?"

"What am I doing? Your Holiness…you shouldn't have come down here on your own, you should have told me."

"Why?" Dante snapped, "So you could lead him on?"

"What are you playing at?" Credo snapped at the Red Assassin. "Is this some sort of harsh joke?"

"A joke? No, this is a joke: What do you call cheese that isn't yours? Nacho cheese. _That's_ a joke, Your Holiness." He pointed at Agnus, "But this…this is not a joke."

"How dare you! You were lying the whole time, weren't you?"

"Quite possibly." Agnus whispered, "The only person we could trust would be your sister, Kyrie." He looked at Dante angrily, "Unfortunately, he warped her mind and took her voice, now no one knows how to communicate with her."

Credo clenched his fists, "How could you do it?" He asked, "And now you're telling me all these pathetic, far-fetched lies…and you pin the blame on Dr. Dei?"

"I'm not pinning the blame on anyone! I'm the only one here telling the truth! Just ask your sister!"

"DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HER! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO HER?"

"No, in fact, I _don't_ know what I did to her! Other than, gee, I don't know. Save her life?"

"LIAR! She's lost her sanity because of what you did to her! She can't speak! All she does is play on that stupid violin and attack anyone who comes near her!"

"Your Holiness, please." Agnus said calmly, "You're stressing yourself even more…"

He tried to place his hand on Credo's shoulder, but he brushed him off immediately. "There wasn't even a Hell Gate at the mines or in the castle, was there? You were just summoning your legion! There is no mad man or whatever, in the castle! It's just demons! It was all you, wasn't it? You and your pathetic lies!"

"…I'm not lying, Credo." Dante said quietly, "As 'evil' as you may think me, I never laid a hand on her. I never hurt her, I only kept her near me. Even if I was a bit harsh, I never harmed her…you want me to prove it to you? The rumors…of the Ghost of Fortuna, they're all true. I could see him. Clear as any other person."

"What are you talking about? How is this proving anything?"

"His name…was Nero." Dante said quietly, "His name…meant black…but his soul…his soul…was _pure_."

There was a dead, horrified silence, filling to room as Credo stared in awe at the Red Assassin, but Dante continued on, "I could see him. I could speak freely with him, he haunted Fortuna Castle. Why? Because…he was _murdered_."

Credo's eyes widened. He didn't speak. He looked at Dante, then at the floor, then back to Dante, so enraged, that he didn't yell, he whispered, "How…dare you dishonor a knight…like you can do…or say…whatever you want. How dare you speak of him…so shamelessly…and even use it…as an excuse of your innocence? Was he…supposed to swoop down here, show himself to us? I…I don't have time for your bullshit." He turned around and walked out of the prison room, Agnus following, his hand on Credo's back.

"…Let me ask you a question, Your Holiness…" Dante said very angrily, "Are you the dumbass that put _him_ in charge of your sister?"

Credo paused, he looked over to the Red Assassin, boiling with anger, "What are you talking about?"

"…I told you already, the one in charge of Fortuna Castle, the one behind the missing cases, is _him_, your beloved Dr. Dei. He was the one there! He was the one who raped your sister!"

"Silence!" Credo yelled, "I won't tolerate your nonsense anymore! You shut up and stop pinning the blame on people you don't even know! I don't care what he did to you when he fixed your god-awful arm! You have no right to blame this on him!"

"You want proof? Is that what you want, Credo? Then look at him! Watch him! Watch the way he…looks at her…the sickening way he stares at her, the lustful look in his eye is unmistakable!"

"And thus we have proof that a terrorist will make anything up to clear his name." Agnus snarled, a small smile on his lips. "You're not so tough when you're behind bars, now are you?" He turned to Credo, and pushed him back up the stairs, out of the prison room. "There, there, Your Holiness, don't let him get to you with his shameless lies…"

"Lies…?" Dante mumbled. He felt something tugging on him, and he began to yell, "Turn away, Credo! Turn away! If you turn away, it will all make sense!"

**WELL  
…Not bad for my first try.**

While I felt bad for influencing Dante to say things he probably couldn't even make sense of, I was hoping that maybe…just maybe…Credo would understand what we were trying to tell him. In fact, to be fair, I think Dante's advice was much better than mine, after all, you truly could see the lust boiling in his eyes. Every time he looked at her, he had to bite his lip, there would be an unfortunate bulge in his pants that he'd have to calm before returning to work.

All one had to do, was keep watching his eyes. But was Credo going to do this? Well…you'd be surprised, really. For now, though, just be patient. Please try to understand Credo.

**TIME UNTIL THE EXECUTION  
82 hours  
34 minutes  
12 seconds**

Back in the infirmary, another doctor was trying to feed Kyrie, as he was asked by Agnus. The only problem, he wasn't Agnus, and that gave Kyrie an upper hand. He tried to feed her, but she wouldn't comply, continually moving her head so that the food would never come near her mouth.

He reached out to grab her, but found himself tugging on her hair. Needless to say, it wasn't very comfortable. As a result, the violin case, now on her lap, was smacked across his face. The doctor cried out and pulled back, releasing Kyrie's hair, causing the food to spill everywhere.

"God damn it! Stupid brat! I don't even know how Agnus can tolerate you! He doesn't tolerate anyone! I'm surprised your brother hasn't thrown you in the asylum! God help you, you crazy little bitch!"

He stood up and stormed away, leaving his mess behind, swearing under his breath. Kyrie sighed; she looked over at Gloria's bed, where she was sleeping. As she watched her, Kyrie gave a silent prayer to protect Gloria's life. She wouldn't know what would happen if she left.

As she stared at her, she noticed a shadow over Gloria's body, looking up, she saw the Lady. Standing over her with almost a solemn face as she spoke quietly, "I've…never seen you before…have I? I don't know, when we first saw each other, you asked me who I was, but the look on your face…it was as if you already knew. Oh well, get well soon…Gloria."

Kyrie watched her as she stood up straight, she looked Kyrie in the eyes, and made her way to the bed, she looked over at the food on the floor and gave a small smile, "Did you attempt a food fight in a hospital?" She quipped, but Kyrie wasn't in the mood for jokes. Lady noticed this immediately, as the girl looked out the window, an insulted look on her face. Lady sighed, she sat down at the seat the doctor had originally been sitting at. Kyrie noticed immediately the slim frame under her arm. Lady noticed the look she gave her, and smiled a little bit, and handed her the photo of her family.

"You dropped this in my room last night, I figured that you'd want it back." She said. Kyrie nodded, and grabbed the photo and clutched it very closely to herself. "…You really miss them…don't you?" She spoke, quietly. Kyrie nodded, "…You look a lot like your mother..."

Kyrie nodded slowly, she didn't even look at her. She could barely even look at the picture. As she hugged the picture, she began to sob, Lady stroked her back, Kyrie shook her off quickly. Lady let her sob after that, but she still sat next to her, just to let her know someone was there for her.

"…I'll fix this…" She mumbled, "I promise you…I'll do whatever it takes to help you. He won't get away with this, Kyrie."

It was at long last that Kyrie finally looked at Lady, her eyes red with tears, she didn't even look hopeful, she simply looked at her, very doubtfully. Lady was in absolute shock at this expression, but knew why she must have been so untrusting of her.

"I'm sorry. I know, I should have maybe…done something last night. But I…I just couldn't. I couldn't say anything, I couldn't move, I just…couldn't. And I'm sorry, Kyrie. I'm sorry. But, please…hear me out. I'm going to do what it takes to help you…"

Kyrie nodded, she reached out and put her hand on Lady's. As they looked at each other, Kyrie looked out the window, and pointed at the forest. Lady nodded.

"Do you like looking outside a lot?" She asked, "It must be nice, having such a great view, when I was your age…I only had a broken road and city buildings to look at."

Kyrie shook her head rather viciously and again pointed at the forest, but this time, she took her hands and swept her hair back in a familiar fashion that Lady happened to know. Suddenly, she knew exactly what she was talking about.

Lady shook her head and put her hand to her forehead in disbelief. "Of course…Al…If." She said, "They're in the forest. Of course! You met them, then?" She asked, keeping her voice rather low. Kyrie nodded, "Then…if anything…do you want to go there?" Again Kyrie nodded, but stopped, and shook her head. She looked back at the portrait in her hands, and then over to Gloria, still sleeping, then, at the floor, and finally, back to Lady. Who nodded in understanding.

"I see, you don't want to leave them…with him, do you?"

Kyrie nodded. Lady followed suit, she gently patted her shoulder. "Don't worry…if we're lucky…those two are on their way to save us. They may not look it, but if they really want to…they can make Dante look like a sissy little bitch."

As it was spoken, some sort of miracle, as I would prefer to call it, happened.

Kyrie, even without her voice, smiled and even gave a small, silent laugh, Lady smiled, glad to see the girl in a slightly better mood, even if some tears were falling down her face. She wiped them away, the two women hugged as Gloria, who had woken up, watched happily.

She was the Lady without the manners.

She was the Choirgirl without the voice.

And together, they would take on the world…


	11. Chapter 11

The beacon of hope, a mute girl's innocent laugh, echoed through the area, it woke up a sleeping Nero. He stretched his limbs, waking up to the sound of a small water fall flowing, his head rang with precious memories. He looked around and saw that Alastor and Ifrit were still sleeping; oddly, they were curled closely to each other, like cats, almost. Of course, it was obvious that while the two of them were prone to simple arguments, they were still friends, no matter what.

Nero sighed and shook his head, smiling a little bit. He looked at the river, and found the small flowing waterfall. He looked himself over, he knew even before he saw the river that he was filthy, caked in dirt and blood and other substances. Stretching his arms again, he removed his clothes, save for his underwear, and walked into the river. It was cold, but not ice cold. After a while it felt warmer, especially when he stood under the waterfall, running his hands through his hair, making it shine a brighter shade of white, not a murky gray.

I had to wonder if Nero was ashamed of those hearts on his boxers. Though I figured that after what he went through in Fortuna Castle numbed any shame over what color his underwear was. One thing I'm shocked at was that Agnus never really made fun of Nero's underwear choice. He must have seen worse.

After washing his body, Nero looked at his clothes, wondering if they needed washing. He figured not, since he never wore his clothes in Fortuna Castle. When he did, Agnus made him strip the very next day. (Well of course, he couldn't operate through clothes, you know!) Sighing heavily, Nero laid down in a small patch of grass, where the sun was sitting. He warmed himself and slowly, fell asleep again, laying in nothing in his underwear.

The first thing Alastor saw when he woke up was Nero's clothes, hanging from a tree, and his boots and sock on the ground. He nudged Ifrit, whispering, "I think Echidna ate Nero…and left his clothes behind." Of course he was joking. Ifrit lifted himself up and rubbed his eyes; Alastor stood up and found Nero, sleeping. Ifrit looked with him.

There was something that really stuck out on Nero's body that caught their attention immediately.

The scars.

**NERO'S BODY**

**On his wrists, even on the Devil Bringer, one could see red marks surrounding them.  
Like he had been strapped down.  
Same went for his ankles.  
There was a large scar on his left palm, as though something had been driven through.  
There was a red mark, similar to the ones on his ankles and wrists  
on his neck. Along with it, some faint red hand marks.  
And his chest. His chest had a vertical scar down his front; as though  
it had been cut open—several times. Blisters accompanied the scar down his chest.  
As though…he had been burned horribly.**

Alastor covered his mouth in horror, "Who…would do this? What the hell happened to him?" He whispered, "My…god, and I thought Choirgirl looked terrible."

"…I'm worried about Dante now…after all…if he IS in that castle…who knows what could be happening to him now?"

"…But Nero said he didn't see anyone else there! Maybe Dante got out? Maybe…I hope so. I mean…Dante should be able to get out of there, he's a grown man…Nero's just a kid."

"Alastor? Are you…crying?"

"He's such an idiot…He wants to get revenge on the guy who did this to him. I tried to talk him out of it, but he still wants to do it, I know he does, I saw it in his eyes. I tried to tell him that he'd only get hurt again, but I could tell that he wasn't going to listen."

"Wait…The guy who did this…he wants to get back at him? He honestly wants to…?" Ifrit clenched his fists as Alastor walked away, covering his mouth, still. He kneeled down, and very roughly punched Nero on the chest, startling the boy. Nero tried to get away, but Ifrit held him down angrily, "I said it once, I'll say it again. What breed of stupid are you? You're honestly thinking that you can get that guy for what he did, after all this? Did you even look at yourself? Do you honestly think that he'll be easy to take down after all of this?"

"What are you talking about?" Nero snapped, "Is this about Agnus? I know what he did! I know!" He shook his head, "You wouldn't understand…why I want to kill him…"

"Yeah, well it seems you don't understand that he'll probably kill you first, if anything!" Ifrit grabbed Nero and pulled him to his feet, placing him in a headlock, he turned to Alastor. "Hey Al, what should we do with him? You know he only wants to go to Headquarters to get his revenge! Should we take him to Limbo City and lock him in Dante's closet?"

"What?" Nero yelled, squirming, "That's hardly the reason I really want to go to Headquarters! There's someone I need to see! I need to find her! Tell her I'm alive!"

"Her?" Ifrit said suddenly, dropping Nero to the ground, "What do you mean 'her'? You never mentioned a girl in the first place. What are you, stupid? You honestly think we'll fall for some trick like that? Come on, kid, give us more credit, we're over two thousand years old here."

"No…wait." Alastor said, "He did mention a girl once, remember? He was sleeping…and he kept repeating a name…Kyrie."

Nero had no clue that he was talking in his sleep, and by the time Alastor had said her name, he found his face feeling very hot with a tinge of embarrassment. It only worsened when Ifrit and Alastor both "Ah"ed and smiled at Nero.

"That's right…!" Ifrit said, "I remember now, you kept on calling out a name. So tell me…is she your girlfriend?"

Nero bit his lip, his face turned a deep red, "No!" he said, rather defensively, standing up. "She is not! My girlfriend!" he yelled at them angrily. They turned to each other and smiled wide, whispering not so quietly.

"I think the boy does protest too much…" Ifrit snickered, whispering into Alastor's ear as he eyed Nero menacingly, Alastor had the same smile on his face, sharp, white teeth glinted at Nero, who backed away, rather furious, but not willing to fight over it.

"She's not my girlfriend. That's that."

"Oh, come on, we heard you say her name. You like her, don't you?" Alastor teased.

"Shut up!" Nero yelled, his face so red you'd think he was getting a sunburn. He clenched his fists angrily.

"Oh wow, he's really defensive about it, isn't he?" Ifrit murmured, obviously amused at Nero's reaction. The two of them snickered and turned away, whispering to themselves; though Nero had a good idea of what they were talking about, and stormed over to them.

"Alright, that's enough!" He yelled, pushing through them. "It's not important who she is! I just want to see her again! Let her know…I'm alive." Nero paused, looking down at the river. Even though he had just bathed there not too long ago, he never actually looked at his wiggling reflection in the water.

All went silent as Nero examined the scars on his body. Scars that he didn't know he had, though he knew he should have. He ran his hand down his chest, even lightly touched his neck, where the hand marks were. He dropped to his knees to get a closer look. To make sure that it was, in fact, himself looking back in the reflection.

He wanted to ask what had happened, the only problem: He already knew.

His fingers trembled as he looked at himself and touched his neck, running his fingers down his chest. He took in a deep breath, and gulped, absolutely terrified of what Agnus had done to him. He wondered, what would others think of these scars? Would they go away?

**BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY**

**Would Kyrie still be loyal?  
Would the appearance of scars terrify her?  
Would she run?**

Nero continued to look at himself, when he saw a new image in the water. People running away from him, saying he was dead. No one caring that he was alive, having already moved on from his sudden disappearance. He saw Kyrie, not even running from him, but looking at him like he was crazy, ignoring him, telling him to leave her alone. All while she held onto the hand of another.

Nero looked away from the water, trying not to think of the horrifying possibilities. He stood up and looked away. Slowly he grabbed his clothes off the trees, beginning with his black tank top and his jeans.

"So, uh, Nero." Alastor said, "I know that this is probably a bad time to ask you this, but, if anything, do you need any…romantic advice? Because I'd be happy to give it."

Ifrit scoffed, "Oh please. Don't listen to him, Nero, you've only seen ONE of his ex-girlfriends, and you've seen how terribly it's turning out. Besides, the one girl he might like, he's too terrified of even being in the same room as her."

"Well don't listen to him, either! The last person he dated was his SISTER!"

"She was sister by clan and you know it!" Ifrit yelled back.

Nero sighed as the two of them began to bicker and yell at each other. Nero sighed, tugging his shirt on, he turned to them, "Guys! That's enough…" He said, staring at the ground, still rubbing his hand on his neck, sighing heavily.

Alastor and Ifrit paused, taking note of Nero's saddened face. They looked at each other, then back at Nero. Alastor made his way over to the boy first and out his arm around his shoulder. "Don't be so mad, we're just messing with you. And…the scars…don't worry about them, I mean, come on! If anything they make you look a lot tougher!"

Nero pushed Alastor off angrily, "That's not it! I mean…I've been missing from November to August, that's about ten months! Who knows what's happened while I was gone? I mean, I apparently missed the assassination of my own leader! And to top it off, I'm here with two of the guys who were a part of the whole thing! And…ten months…ten months…well, what if Kyrie has forgotten about me? What if she has some other guy with her?"

Ifrit crossed his arms. "Well, then that would probably mean she wasn't worth it. That's all I can tell you. There's a lot of fish in the ocean, kid, just cast your line again until you get the catch to take home."

"You don't understand! Kyrie…she was the only person I knew who would…really talk to me. She was the only person who really…understood me. We've known each other since we were…"

"…Nero…" Alastor said, "You shouldn't think like that. I mean, would you prefer it if you were dead? There are worse things that could have happened to you aside from being in a coma for ten months. And let's face it, people are going to assume you're dead if you've been missing for so long. The only thing you have to do is tell them you're well. They won't ignore you or anything. And besides, if Kyrie's so special to you…if you believe that you two were so close to the other, then I'm sure she'll be happier than anyone else there to see that you're alive." He patted Nero's back, "Don't worry about it too much."

Nero sighed heavily. He looked at the ground, and took a heavy step forwards. "I just…don't know."

"Come on, don't think too much about it, what happens, happens. Now here," Alastor handed the boy his red vest as well as his navy blue jacket, "get dressed, and we can get moving. Unless…you'd rather eat first. I want to eat. I'm starving." Without another word, Alastor turned around and began to climb a tree.

Nero looked up in amazement, but soon realized that he was hungry as well. Sitting down, he sighed yet again as he dressed, still troubled over his situation.

But really…Kyrie getting a new boyfriend was the least that could happen.

Not too much longer, Alastor jumped down from one of the trees, his sudden landing caused Nero to jump in shock, but Alastor had several fruits in his arms, and set them down for the trio to share. Nero grabbed the first fruit in his reach and took an enormous bite out of it, the juice spilled all over him, but he was too occupied with the sweet taste.

The last thing he remembered eating was a frozen meat pie, even then, he'd only nibble at the corners, hoping it would last him as long as possible. And after ten months, he felt like skin and bones.

He continued to chew until there was nothing but the pit left, he tossed it over his shoulder and grabbed another fruit, digging his teeth into its flesh. As quickly as he dug his teeth in, he felt someone slap him on the head, he paused and looked up, his mouth dribbling and covered in juice.

"Slow down, you little pig!" Alastor scolded, "There are others here! And at least swallow before you take a bite!"

"And please try not to smack your lips so loud, and taste the fruit." Ifrit finished, holding his hands up to block his eyes, as though he was absolutely disgusted with Nero's behavior.

Nero wiped his mouth and licked his lips, and slowly ate the fruit, looking around himself cautiously. He felt a little embarrassed for what had happened, not realizing that it was no longer a struggle to survive.

"So…You think your girlfriend will be happy to see you?" Ifrit asked, causing Nero to blush red again.

"She is not my girlfriend!" He yelled, "For the last time, she is not my girlfriend!"

"…Well you at least have to have a crush on her, right?" Alastor suggested. Nero looked down at the ground, trying to hide the redness of his face. Alastor and Ifrit smiled, and soon crowded in on him. "Come on! Tell us about her, at least? There has to be something you can tell us! Please?"

"Like what?" Nero snapped, pulling away from the two of them, but they were pushy, and grabbed Nero's shoulders, holding him in place as he struggled.

"Well at least tell us what the girl looks like, kiddo!" Alastor said, "We'd at least like an idea of who you're fantasizing about. You know, hair color, skin color, how tall she is, what it feels like when you wrap your arms around her."

"Okay, okay, shut up, that's not what happened between us!"

"Come on, don't be so shy…"

"Just give a few details about her." Ifrit suggested, elbowing Nero lightly in the ribs. Nero growled, still trying to get away from them, but they wouldn't let the boy go.

"Alright, alright! Fine, just a few things about her, then we get up, and we keep going for headquarters! Alright?"

"Well…we'll see about that…" Ifrit whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing, we agree." Alastor covered quickly, attempting to assure Nero, waving his fingers, giving him the signal to move on with what he wanted to tell them. Well…not necessarily wanted to, but you know what I mean.

Nero sighed heavily, but he began, slowly, anxiously. "It isn't very comfortable, talking about her to two other guys who I barely even know, and not to mention you're both demons, AND you both helped on a plot to attack the Order. I don't even know why I'm with the two of you."

"Don't think about that right now, kid," Alastor said, "I implore you, we're the good guys here, in fact, you already know that something odd is happening around here if one of the members of the Order kept you hostage in a castle."

Nero sighed again, "Alright, her name is Kyrie. And she's...a really good friend of mine. We've known each other for a while now, but...I was never sure if we were...together. I never really asked, I never wanted, I was too afraid that I would...lose her or something." He shook his head, "It was something ridiculous like that, you know? We were...hardly apart, but, that was kind of my job, I was supposed to be her bodyguard." he gave a small laugh, "Though...I think that Credo did that on purpose."

"Credo?" Alastor asked curiously.

"Her older brother…ironically, he's my boss, too. But there was something…I don't know, I guess he did like me…he just had an odd way of showing it. So I was in charge of his sister after I…um…" Nero blushed, "I got in a fight with Kyrie. So he…found me, and he kicked the crap out of me. A few days later, I have a new position, I'm in charge of her. And of course, she wasn't talking to me, so eventually I had to apologize."

Oh. Nero beat me to that story, it's rather cute, really. You see, Kyrie and Nero had formed a friendship ever since Nero and her fell out of the tree, but, one night, Nero was walking to his room, when his old shock therapist passed by him.

**A WICKED WHISPER  
"She only pities you, you know."**

That simple sentence threw Nero into a paranoid fury, that by the next day, when Kyrie approached him, he lashed out at her, asking if she was just pitying him, if she didn't really care about "The One-Armed Knight", if she was just toying with him. Kyrie was in such shock that she dropped the books she held in her hands and ran away, sobbing. Nero was breathing heavily, but was beginning to feel terrible for what he had said, he picked up the books Kyrie had dropped. Nothing really important, just her music books, was all. Nero looked around, everyone was staring at him, glaring at him, whispering harsh things.

**MORE WHISPERS**

"_**No better than his father, I say."**_

"_**Poor girl, she should have just stayed away from him."**_

"_**Just like that asshole of a father, next thing you know he'll start up drinking and smoking."**_

"_**What do you expect from a boy that was raised by a drunk and a devil?"**_

These were words Nero hated hearing, he didn't even glance at the people as he walked away. He walked faster as he heard loud footsteps, and Credo's voice, "Where'd he go?" No doubt that the people pointed Nero out immediately, but by then, Nero had already escaped. He found his safety yet again in a tree, once again, I'm still shocked that he could climb a tree with one arm, though I figure it must have taken him a lot of practice.

Hours passed, it was dark, Nero figured now was the time to go home, though he really didn't want to run around headquarters trying to avoid Credo. Though he was lucky, he didn't have to do any of that.

…Credo was waiting for him at the bottom of the tree. So, Nero had no chance of escape when he jumped down, as Credo grabbed him with both hands, one good advantage against Nero, the other advantage? Well, back then, Credo was much bulkier than Nero, who was slightly underweight, so as you can imagine, it wasn't hard for Credo to give Nero a black eye, or bruise his stomach, or give him a fat lip, or drag him back to headquarters and throw him in the infirmary, yelling at him to straighten out his act.

Nero knew he judged wrong, especially since Credo's beating. He was just lucky Credo didn't break any of his bones. He knew, from that day forth…no one ever…ever…messed with the Eleison siblings.

"So…" Alastor said, nudging Nero again, "Come on, give us a few details! What does she do? What does she look like? Huh?"

"Oh…well, she's a songstress, for the Order of the Sword. She sings for them, you know? And…her voice, penetrates the air, it's the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. It's…so soft and shy when she speaks, but…strong when she sings, when she sings, her voice rings out more than anyone else's voice, like…the voice of an angel. She's…so cute, too. She's short, but not too short, she stands…to my shoulders, I think, and her hair is this brilliant, brown-red color, And she has these…kind of…coffee like eyes, like when you pour milk into a cup of coffee, that kind of color, a milky-brown…"

Ifrit's eyes widened, he stood, staring at Nero in horror, but Alastor began to laugh, causing Nero to yell at him while Alastor teased him about having a crush. Though Alastor was right, the way Nero spoke, and in the way he turned red as he spoke, was a dead giveaway that he more than liked Kyrie. But there was something else on Ifrit's mind.

"Al, shut up." He snapped immediately, he looked at the boy, who thanked him, assuming he was standing up for him, "No, don't thank me. You're going to hate me in a few seconds. Alastor!"

"Yes?" The Thunder Devil replied, standing up, Nero stood up, too. Ifrit put his hand on the boy's shoulders. As if measuring, Alastor followed suit, confusedly, "What's this about?"

"…Seem familiar?" Ifrit snapped, "Brown red hair, how long is her hair, Nero?"

"What? Um…past her shoulders a little bit, I think, I haven't seen her hair down too many times."

"Right…and brown eyes, Alastor, tell me we're on the same page here…"

Alastor was looking shocked, and terrified, "I was right…Choirgirl…Why she wanted us to call her that, even though she was mute."

Ifrit nodded, "Because she was a choirgirl before she was mute."

"Wait a second! Wait a second! What are you guys talking about?" Nero snapped.

"Remember how we were telling you about that girl we saw earlier?"

"Kyrie isn't a mute!"

"Defend her all you want, but that description you gave her matched Choirgirl perfectly."

"No! No, there's no way they were the same girl! I mean…"Nero took in a deep breath, "she would have never made it out alive! She has to still be alive!"

"She is, Nero…" Alastor said, "we don't know this for sure, but we think Dante saved her." He fidgeted with his hands, "She had his scent all over her."

"No…no, that couldn't be! What about Agnus?"

Ifrit and Alastor were silent, Ifrit was the one who spoke up, with difficulty, "Nero…remember…how Alastor said she was bloody? Well…along with Dante's scent, there was a much more foul scent on her…and the blood, was in the crotch area…Nero, please tell me…I know you don't want to, but tell me you know what it means."

"It was her time of the month…" Nero said defensively.

Alastor shook his head, "I don't think so, Nero. The blood wasn't flowing when we got to her. And when we found her…she was covered in bruises that were obviously dealt by human hands."

Nero shook his head, "No…it couldn't…no. That can't be…" He didn't want to believe it, but he knew Agnus would do anything to have his way, and he wasn't about to put such a shameless act beneath Agnus. First, he felt denial, but grim reality wrapped itself around him, and soon it boiled into more hatred and anger than ever. "That bastard." He growled, "That sick fuck…I'm going to kill him…I'm going to kill him." Nero growled as he began to storm through the Lapis River, Alastor blocked his path.

"No, you're not." He said, "I know you're angry with him, but I'm not letting you go near this guy, I don't care what he's done. He's obviously more than a match for you, I'm not letting you risk your life. Not for this, Nero. Vengeance is not the answer here."

"Then what?" Nero yelled, "What else is there for me to do, Alastor? Do I turn the other cheek on this bastard? He's killed hundreds! Maybe even more! I can't just let this slide! He's not going to get away with this, and I'm going to be the one who makes sure of that!"

Alastor gently put his hands on Nero's chest, "Nero…calm down, I know this is a horrible shock for you, but I'm not letting you make another mistake, the angrier you are, the more blind you become, and the more blind you are, the easier you are to defeat. Calm down, Nero…we'll figure something out…I promise."

Just as Nero was about to calm down, there was a loud splash, Ifrit ran out for cover as water burst out in all kinds of directions, Nero and Alastor saw what had emerged from the water. The demonic reptile of the Underworld, the Blade, two more of them emerged from the ground and wailed at them, bearing their large claws, and swollen left arm, it's blood vessels popping out as they adjusted the helmets on their heads and circled Nero and Alastor.

"Shoo, you god damn pests!" Alastor yelled angrily, shocking the one that had emerged from the water, frying and killing it. Ifrit ran over to them and promptly shoved both Alastor and Nero out of the way as the other two Blades shot their talons at them. Ifrit was pierced in his leg and the side of his torso, he fell over, the talons still sticking out of his body.

Alastor ran to his friend's side immediately and tried to help him. As Alastor turned his back, once again, Nero began to feel that desperation, not only that, but his anger, his hatred, all bottled up. The two Blades lunged for him, but Nero's eyes began to glow red, the Yamato was in his right hand as he drew out Red Queen with his left. A blue specter appeared behind him as he began to hack up the Blades, the specter mimicked everything he did, even using a spectral version of the Yamato.

Blood stained the ground as Nero stood over the remains of the demons, he voice echoed hauntingly as he spoke, "I don't have time for this bullshit." as he walked over the bridge to the other side of the river. Alastor and Ifrit were in shock, but Alastor still tried to pry the talons out of Ifrit.

Ifrit shook his head, "Go after him! Stop him! I'm fine, I'll pull these out myself! Get him!"

Alastor clenched his fists, but ran after Nero, he grabbed him from behind, only getting himself elbowed in the face as he staggered backwards and fell to the ground, but that didn't stop him as he ran in front of Nero and grabbed the boy's shoulders, giving him a shake. "Nero, wake up!" he yelled, but the boy's eyes still glowed red. At this, Alastor immediately slapped him across the face, "Wake up, damn it!" He yelled again, but Nero's eyes were still a menacing red, Alastor gritted his teeth and this time, slapped Nero with a small jolt of electricity, sending the boy crashing to the ground. "Nero! You have to wake up! You can't let him control you!"

The specter disappeared, Nero lifted himself up, he looked at Alastor, to his relief, the boy's eyes were blue again, but he was distressed, and terrified as he spoke, trembling. "Alastor…? What happened to me? What was that?" He lifted himself barely to his knees, looking at his hands, "What's happening to me? What's going on?" He nearly sobbed, "I…I could barely control myself…"

"…I told you, that sword belonged to a wicked devil…the Black Angel, as some call him."

"Black Angel...?" Nero said, clenching his fists, "But…the voice I heard…" He didn't finish, but he knew the voice that had spoken in his head. It was me. He continued to stare at his hand, he pondered, about how he had thought that Agnus had done this to him. But now…now he knew who it was. It wasn't Agnus, it was me. But he wondered:

Is Vergil trying to possess me…? Or…is he…trying to help me?

As I said already, I was most definitely _not_ trying to possess Nero. Though, was I trying to help him? Well, that can be debated…


	12. Chapter 12

"How are you guys sure it was her?" Nero protested yet again.

The situation had calmed down, if only a little bit, Ifrit's wounds were slowly healing, but Nero's hands were shaking as he sat down by the edge of the lake, staring at his own reflection, terrified to accept what had become of him.

"Well…Nero, do you have a gun?" Ifrit asked, refusing to get very close to the water.

Nero nodded, "I had a gun, it was a revolver, it wasn't anywhere when I woke up, so I figure Agnus must have gotten rid of it. What happened, was that I used it in my escape. He didn't know that I had the gun, because Knights of the Order don't use them. So, one day, he walked into my cell, I was fully dressed because I was ready to get the hell out, and I pointed the gun at my head, and he ran for me, as he did that, I shot the bastard in the stomach and ran out as fast as I could."

"…But he caught you." Alastor said, even though he didn't want to assume so quickly.

Nero sighed, "Unfortunately, he did. I was…so close too."

"Well, anyways, Nero. I don't think Agnus has your gun." Ifrit assured him. "Choirgirl does, she was holding onto it when we found her, but it was empty."

"…She has…my gun?" Nero asked curiously, he stood up and walked away from the water and approached Ifrit, "She has it?" he asked again. Ifrit nodded, Nero was a little happy at this, but was also a little confused, "This means…that there must still be some feelings for me, right? But…I wonder if she saw me. You know, if Agnus had me hidden. That bastard…I probably would have gotten out of this mess with her if she had seen me!" He shook his head, "Doesn't really matter though, does it? After all, I'm on my way back, so…better late than never."

Alastor nodded and gave Nero a slap on the back, "See? That's the spirit!"

Ifrit nodded, "So, if you want to get there…the best option would be to…I don't know…walk?" he laughed, Nero gave a small smile as Alastor wrapped his arm around the boy. Nero nodded, and the three of them left the area.

As they walked on, there was an area with a large crevice in the center, where a set of old wooden stairs was placed to lead to the upper area, Nero looked around, and nodded, "The Ancient Plaza…I don't know…it was…a plaza? I guess it's been a long time since it's been used, it's all covered in moss."

"You know a lot about this place, don't you?" Ifrit commented, "I mean, sure, you're a Fortunan, you're supposed to know this stuff, but you seem…too young to know it. Unless…you actually listened in History or something."

Nero nodded "I read about it in a book. It tells all about the forest and it's…wonders."

"…You don't look like a book reading type." Alastor said observantly.

"Well…when you're locked in your room, you find yourself doing odd things. And besides…I've always been a reader…you just can't tell because I don't have my glasses on."

Alastor was in shock, "You wear glasses? I can't even imagine you with glasses! Do you wear contacts, now?"

Nero shook his head, "No…my eyes got better, I don't need glasses anymore."

"How'd you fix them?"

Nero sighed and held up his right arm, "Let's say that this was a part of it…"

"…Oh. I see, then." Alastor said, patting Nero on the back. The boy shrugged him off And ascended the rotting wooden stairs over to the other side of the plaza. He looked down at Alastor and Ifrit, noting that the two of them had solemn features on their faces. Nero frowned.

"What are those looks for, guys?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"Nero." Ifrit said, "Just how exactly _did_ you become a devil?"

Nero bit his lip, he turned away from them and shoved his hands in his pockets. He scratched his head, messed with his hair, scratched his nose. He didn't want to tell them. He really didn't, and I personally didn't want him to tell them either.

Ifrit and Alastor were never my biggest fans, to be honest. And if they were to find out about the relationship between Nero and me, who knows what levels of paranoia would be unlocked? Even Alastor could turn nasty with the wrong move.

"When I was fifteen…I was…kind of possessed." Nero paused by a moment, then spoke, still struggling with his words, "I say kind of…because he never got the chance to completely take me over, at least…not until I got this sword here…I don't know where it came from…but I...now that I think about it, I remember him holding it all the time."

"Nero…what are you talking about?" Ifrit said suspiciously, walking up the stairs, "Who is he? What's going on?"

"Look, I don't want to talk about it, it happened way too long ago for it to be a big deal any more. He…he left, I don't know what happened…He's dead for all I know!"

"Who is he?" Ifrit demanded, grabbing Nero by his shoulder, forcing him to face him. "What are you talking about?"

"…He…he was my foster father! He was more of a brother, if anything!"

"Who was he?"

"I…I don't really know! They say my father took him in because he was hurt, or something like that!"

"Stop avoiding the question!"

"H-his name was Vergil! He took care of me after my dad died!"

Ifrit dropped him, Nero scrambled to get up, Alastor joined the two of them on the high end of the plaza. He stared at Nero in disbelief, he whispered to Ifrit, and this time, Nero could barely hear them. He knew he had made a mistake in telling them, but what were they going to do? Nero knew he wasn't possessed if nothing had happened to him after two years, but most of that time he was inside, trying not to show himself to others, though now…with all these feelings of hatred and revenge stirring inside him, he wasn't so sure that his demonic side was harmless.

"Nero." Alastor spoke, "Nero…you knew Vergil?"

"…You knew him too?"

Alastor nodded, "Kind of…I probably…didn't know the Vergil that you knew."

"Why would Vergil choose some kid?" Ifrit said, interrupting them. "I mean, sure, his sword was broken, but why would he transfer his soul into some kid?"

"What?"

Alastor shook his head, "I have no idea, maybe it's because he raised him?"

"I'm right here, you know…" Nero snapped, "What are you two talking about?"

"Nero, I don't think Vergil tried to possess you, he may have only transferred his soul into you. Though why he would do that, I can't exactly say. Especially if you were just…some kid he took care of."

"Unless, of course, there's something you would like to tell us?" Ifrit said, "Something really important that you've been hiding away?"

Nero shrugged, "Like what? Are you expecting there to be some big family secret that I'm hiding from the two of you? Even if there is, I wouldn't know. No one ever told me anything about my family other than the fact that my father was a drunk. That was all I knew…even though…I know it's wrong."

"…You don't know anything else that might have been hidden? No deep dark secrets? Vergil didn't tell you anything?"

"Ifrit, he was only eight, I doubt he'd be able to remember much of anything. Especially with Vergil being…you know…Vergil. He probably barely talked to him."

"I remember he'd always tell me to never let anyone control me. He'd tell me to never let anyone run my life. He'd also talk about strength at times…though there were times that I didn't understand what he was trying to tell me. But he'd have this look in his eyes…there was this time, when I could swear he was…scared of something."

"Vergil…scared? That's about as likely as Lady ever being nice." Ifrit said.

"What? Lady can be nice!" Alastor yelled defensively, "Lady can be really nice!"

"How would you know? You've never spoken to her."

"Well…I…I've watched her…a few times."

"…Lady?" Nero asked, tilting his head a little bit, "Wait, you mean the girl Alastor likes? Her name's…Lady?"

"Shut up! I do not like her!"

"…Uh-huh, he just thinks about her…all the time…there's a difference, Nero."

"Oh, right."

Alastor was red with fury and embarrassment, angrily he shoved through the two of them, "That's it! We're wasting time! Let's keep going before Echidna tries to kill us again!" He stormed through the area, glaring at Ifrit and Nero, "Come on! I'm not waiting all day for you two!"

Ifrit shook his head and followed after Alastor, Nero stood there for a while. He clutched his arm and stared at the ground, relieved that the previous subject was dropped, and would hopefully not be brought up again. It was bad enough to mention the truth of what had happened to him, but with these two saying that they knew him, mentioning that I wasn't a very kind being, it made Nero nervous, and scared.

"Nero! We're doing this for you! The least you could do is follow along!" Alastor yelled, his voice penetrating through Nero's thought process. Nero looked up, and nodded quickly, following after them. As they went through the forest, they found themselves once again in the Windswept Valley, where they had originally met, Nero looked around the area, it was quiet, there weren't even any chimera seeds wandering around. Nero noticed that the abandoned church was wrapped in vines, he shivered, knowing that could have been their fate.

"Look." Ifrit called, pointing out another path, "We haven't been there yet, have we?" He asked. Alastor and Nero looked down the path, where there was a small set of stairs leading to an ancient looking double door. Nero nodded, and the three of them progressed through.

Opening the doors, they saw that they were back at the area where the large chasm was, only this time they were at a lower level, and there was actually a metal bridge attaching a few cliffs that they could easily walk across. Nero took the first step, noticing that the bridge was sturdy, even the metal stairs were unlikely to fall apart. He looked over to Alastor and Ifrit and nodded, telling them that the bridge was safe.

Alastor and Ifrit walked calmly along the bridge, Nero in the lead, Alastor in the back. Ifrit began talking, Nero listened in, "You know, speaking of girls…we haven't heard from Echidna in quite a while, do you think that's a good thing, or a bad thing?"

As Ifrit spoke, Nero saw a snakelike shadow looming over them, the three of them looked over and saw her in her dragon form, her tongue flailing out as she hissed at them.

"Definitely a bad thing." Alastor said as the three of them quickly ran across the bridge, barely dodging her as she smashed the metal where they were standing to pieces. She turned and hissed at them again. Nero looked over, they weren't even halfway through the bridge, and what was worse: it was blocked by her bud-like eggs.

"Run!" Nero yelled, making a dash for it, Alastor and Ifrit swiftly followed as she struck again, destroying more of the metal bridge. They ran into the eggs that were blocking their path and did the only thing that ran across their minds and smashed the eggs, doing what they could to get them out of their way before once again Echidna crashed and destroyed the metal walkway, barely hitting them as they finally got past the eggs. They continued to run, the end of the bridge was nearby now, just one turn to go. Their footsteps echoed on the metal, their breathing was fast, in the back, Alastor shoved Ifrit along, as he was slipping up (running wasn't his thing).

Almost there, Nero could taste the ground, she wasn't going to get them this time, they could outrun her, Nero's heart felt like it was about to burst, he tumbled on to the ground and turned, seeing Ifrit and Alastor right behind them. Ifrit made it.

Alastor almost made it.

He was just about a footstep away when her tongue wrapped around his torso, in his last moments, Alastor reached into his coat and threw at Nero two things, he didn't pay any mind to them—he was too busy screaming out Alastor's name as he was dragged deep into the chasm.

"Oh, no you don't, you bitch." Ifrit snarled, and before Nero could grab him in protest, Ifrit dove into the chasm as well. Nero looked over the edge of the broken bridge, there was only darkness and the echoing of his own voice.

He stood up, he trembled in disbelief. There was no way. He couldn't accept it, the two of them…they couldn't be gone. Not so suddenly. He paused and looked over to the things that Alastor had tossed him before he was dragged down. They were two guns with engraving on them.

Luce and Ombra.

Luce was the silver gun, Ombra, the black one. Nero picked them up carefully, he aimed them, then took another look at them. There was another engraving that made his heart pound.

**THE ORIGINAL OWNER**

"_**For the Dark Knight, Sparda."  
—Smooth Al**_

"The Dark Knight? Sparda, himself?" Nero gasped, shocked.

Though this still didn't cure the loneliness he felt.

* * *

"There, Jacob's Ladder." Lady said, showing the girl in the hospital bed the creation made from string. Kyrie looked at the string in awe, Lady smiled, "My mother used to do this with me all the time. Mostly when I was sick, and I had to stay in bed." Lady was quiet, she let the string fall apart as she put her hands on her lap, "My mother died when I was about your age. And the house I lived in nearly burned down. The only thing I have left of her is this." Lady pointed to the red gem on her necklace.

Kyrie nodded and clutched her own neck, she paused, then frowned, knowing that she had dropped her necklace back in Fortuna Castle, she wasn't getting it back anytime soon. Not unless she asked Agnus to go find it for her, which she strongly doubted he would do. She could already hear him laughing at her and mocking her.

"…Kyrie? Is something wrong?" Lady asked, noticing that the girl had gone off in her own world, clutching her neck. Kyrie looked over to her and nodded, she pointed at Lady's necklace, then at her own bare neck, the door to Agnus' office, and out the window. Lady didn't completely understand, but tried to comprehend, "You lost a necklace? Or did he take it from you?" Kyrie nodded at the first suggestion. "…Kyrie…that necklace was given to you by someone very special, huh?"

Kyrie nodded, clutching her violin case very close to her chest, Lady noticed that she really loved the violin case, and wondered if it was really so important to her, or if there was something else. She was curious, and she let it get the best of her as she put on hand on the girl's violin case. Kyrie immediately tensed and clutched the case closer to her chest.

"You know, I used to play violin a long time ago." She lied, "May I have a try?" Kyrie shook her head violently and held the violin case far away from Lady. "…That's not just a violin in there, is it?" Kyrie glared at her and looked around cautiously, then placed her finger against Lady's lips, "I see…I understand why you have it then. Kyrie…Did…did Nero give you that necklace?"

Kyrie began to cry again, wiping her eyes as she nodded, Lady looked at her necklace, then back at Kyrie. She sighed and unfastened the chain, "Kyrie…" She said, "Have this…" Kyrie saw what she had and leaned away, looking at Lady in shock, "Don't…worry about it. I want you to have this…this is what my mother would have wanted. It's the least I can do, for now. So…think of it as a promise, that things are going to turn out alright, no matter how hard things may seem." Despite Kyrie's protest, Lady fastened the necklace around the girl's neck, Kyrie was sobbing, "I know it won't replace the other one he gave you, but…even though you don't have that necklace with you, he's still here, he's in your heart, and he always will be, no matter what happens to you." Kyrie nodded, wrapping her arms around Lady's neck, Lady wrapped her arms around the girl as well.

"What are you doing?"

The sharp voice caused Kyrie and Lady to jerk away from each other immediately and turn to see who had yelled. It wasn't the doctor from before, nor was it Agnus, as it would have been expected.

It was Credo.

"Pardon?" Lady said curiously, trying to make out the boiling anger on the Vicar's face. Even Kyrie was confused at her brother's odd behavior. Agnus stood behind him, and even he was confused, he even gave a jump as Credo yelled again.

"Get away from her!" Credo yelled, storming over to Lady, he grabbed her hands and dragged her away, "Don't you know what she could do to you? Stay away from her!"

Lady wanted to wrestle against him, but she bit her lip and endured it as Credo took her out of the infirmary, she turned to face him, only now seeing the worried face upon His Holiness as he clutched the bridge of his nose. "I know you only wanted to help…but please, don't go near her. She's…not well. No one knows when she's going to snap." As he spoke, Lady noticed several fading scratches on Credo's face. She wondered if Agnus wasn't lying, if the girl had gone crazy, especially if those scratches were from the choirgirl's hands. She honestly thought that Kyrie was only forceful to Agnus, and that doctor who pulled her hair.

"…How did you…" Credo whispered, "How did you even get her to act like that? I can't even get her to smile…you're a complete outsider! She doesn't even know you! Why? Why were _you_ able to calm her down? Why you and not _me_?"

Credo paused; he covered his mouth sheepishly and stared at the ground. He walked around her and down the hall, he turned back to Lady, his face was a little red as he spoke, "Please. Just leave to your room, and don't bother her, she hurts more than you'd think."

Lady watched as he left, Agnus soon emerged from the infirmary, he put his massive hands on her shoulders, "Now, now, I told you. As His Holiness has requested, I'd suggest you go to your room and stay in there, after all, no one else wants you here." Lady stood perfectly still, Agnus squeezed her shoulder's tight enough that she gave a small yell to tell him he was hurting her, even though he didn't give a damn who he was hurting. "Now get! You don't want me to 'escort' you, would you?" he yelled, shoving her forwards with quite a lot of force, Lady nearly lost her balance and fell over.

Lady glared at Agnus, she approached him, "Everything that's happened to her…it's all because of _you_, isn't it? You asshole. You're going to get what's coming to you. I guarantee it. And I'm going to make sure that what happens to you, comes as slowly as possible. When this place starts to crumble, you can guarantee that I'm going to find you. And I'm going to kill you as slowly as possible, make sure you suffer for all that you've done…"

Agnus smiled and grabbed Lady's cheeks, he brought her close to his face, "I would _love_ to see you try. You'd probably look as silly as your mother. Sobbing uncontrollably as she tried to harm me, as she backed herself into a corner. But unlike her…I won't hesitate to kill you. In fact, when this 'crumbling' that you speak of happens, I guarantee you that you'll fail in killing me, only to have me kill you…_just_ as slowly as you've promised…" With his final word, he shoved her back, "Now get out of my way, unlike you, I have a job that must be tended to."

Lady stumbled to the ground, she heard some snickering, as she looked up, she noticed that there several knights in the hall, looking down at her, laughing at each other. Not only that, but there was a yellow tint to their eyes as they looked at her. As though…they knew what Agnus was up to, and that they were on his side. Lady stood up, they looked at her and whispered to each other. Lady was surrounded, she felt all their eyes on her as she left as quickly as she could.

As Credo walked the halls, he noticed a knight, leaning against the wall, staring at him in particular, Credo raised an eyebrow, "Aaron White, what are you doing?"

The young man brushed some hair away from his eyes, "Standing guard, Your Holiness."

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Your Holiness, may I have permission to speak?"

"Permission? Of course. What do you want to say?"

"It's about your sister, Your Holiness."

Credo tensed, "What about her?"

"…Well, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with that woman, our guest, about her being a stranger. May I suggest that…she is not, in fact, a stranger? That…maybe it's you who is the stranger? Or…maybe it's things that you do, or say that upset her? Your Holiness…she has no voice, she has no other way of expressing her anger."

"…What do you know about her?"

"I don't think she enjoys you treating her like she isn't human anymore…that's all, Your Holiness. I'm sorry if I upset you."

"…What's wrong with your eyes? Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"No, Your Holiness, I've been doing too many shifts."

"…Take a break, Aaron, tell your commander it was my orders."

"Thank you, Your Holiness…but no thank you. I'm fine where I am."

"…Are you sure?"

"…Not all of us can get promoted because we're favorites." Aaron snapped, Credo took a step back, Aaron stood up straight, he looked at one of the clocks on the wall, "Excuse me, Your Holiness. Shift change." He said as he left the area. Credo watched him in shock, his heart was pounding in his chest as he tried to comprehend how someone like Aaron white could get so…nasty.

Kyrie was still stuck in her bed as Agnus laughed walking around the infirmary, muttering things like "Crumbling…how stupid.", "Does she really think she can kill me? Honestly!", "What a stupid woman.", Kyrie watched as he picked up the string Lady had been using to entertain Kyrie with. She grabbed Agnus' hands and took the string from him; he let her take it from him. He watched her try to imitate what the lady had done, and noticed the violin case on her lap.

"Dr. Dei. I want you to know that little brat smacked me on the head with that damn violin! I'd appreciate it if you took it away from her!" An assistant doctor complained, glaring at Agnus. Kyrie stuck her tongue out at him, "See? Her behavior is completely out of hand!"

"I don't see anything wrong with her." Agnus said, patting Kyrie on the head, "She just doesn't like you. Now get back to what you were doing and stop whining to me. I'm here, therefore, she's under control."

"But Dr. Dei! She swings that thing around like a weapon! You should take it away from her!"

"Taking it from her would only increase her restlessness. Now be quiet."

"But Dr.—"

"I SAID BE QUIET!" Agnus yelled, everyone in the infirmary jumped, Kyrie even saw the sleeping Gloria wake up in shock. Everyone knew Agnus was a short-tempered man, but he rarely yelled so loud. The doctor, who was now shaking, turned around and left without a word. Agnus sighed; he began to sweep up the food he noticed on the floor. As he swept, he noticed something red on Kyrie's neck, he leaned in close to her, Kyrie backed up immediately. Agnus pointed to her neck, "Where did you get that? Did that…did that woman give that to you?" He was about to grab the necklace, Kyrie put her hands up to block him, but he shrugged.

"It looks better on you." He said casually, returning to his work. Kyrie clutched the necklace, taking in a deep breath as she watched him. Several knights came into the infirmary and began to have a simple conversation with Agnus, who took part in, nodding and giving a small smile at whatever they were saying, and needless to say, this made Kyrie very nervous.

You know, there were times when I'll admit that I had a few things in common with Agnus. The ruthlessness, the will, the fact that we did things just because we knew we could.

But, unlike him, I at least drew the line somewhere.

Unlike him…

I at least had the good sense to die.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Sorry about the delay_**

**_

* * *

_**

The air was murky as Nero walked along the forest, staggering with every footstep; he looked at the sky, the yellowing sky, as the sun fell away to the other side of the world. Clouds swam around the sky, dark, menacing clouds that began to drizzle onto the living forest, soaking Nero as he walked, he wiped the water from his face, his hair was soaked His leather coat kept him warm and dry, if only a little bit. He took in deep breaths as he walked around the area and looked for somewhere to go.

There was a tree that was deep in the vegetation, he ducked under it and clutched his knees to his chest, he shivered, wiping his face a little more, looking around the area, making sure nothing was going to attack him. He shuddered from the cold that drenched his body and clung onto him. He clamped his eyes shut and tried to keep himself warm. He took in deep breaths. His eyes began to grow heavy; he sighed and rubbed them, trying to stay awake.

Sitting there, he could hear a clap of thunder and a malicious laugh echo through the trees of the forest, a wicked laughter that chilled Nero down to the bone. Though with all the fear he felt, with all the chills running down his spine, the horror he was feeling was nothing. Nothing compared to the dark, cold, terrifying halls of an abandoned castle that haunted his dreams. A smile that petrified his body. A voice that made his blood run cold.

As his body fell limp and he drifted to sleep, he dreamt of it again. The blood stained cage, the ropes that held him in place, the cruel smile, peering down at him as his body was marked with a black pen, then, the scissors. They punctured his flesh, just above his navel, they dug into his skin. They crawled up his chest with disgusting sounds.

_Snip, snip._

Ripping, tearing, his fingers would bleed with the way he clutched the surgical bed and tried not to scream in pain. Screaming only made Agnus more excitable. It made him laugh, pull harder, or, cut deeper, anything to crank the volume up. He never used anesthesia. Unless it was absolutely necessary, unless he had a terrible day that resulted in a headache, even then, it was still rare, and he'd only gag his victims.

**IN HINDSIGHT  
Dante **_**was**_** lucky.  
Lucky that his fate hadn't been sealed in Fortuna Castle.  
Lucky that he had only broken his arm.  
Lucky that Agnus was on his leash.  
Lucky that he was in a cell, far away from the doctor.  
Lucky that he had about 70 hours left.**

But then again, who am I kidding? This was Dante, he was lucky at just about everything. And that's why there are times when I just can't stand him, times when he feels so down, like everything is terrible for him. Those are the moments when I wish I was still alive, just so that I could give him a punch. And I'm not a type of person who would act so restless.

However, speaking of Dante, he was still awaiting some kind of meal, as he still hadn't been fed since his interrogation. His stomach was caved in; he was trying hard not to pass out, as he would worry about where he would be when he woke up. He lied down on his back and began to kick the walls and yell out for attention of any sort. As long as they brought food.

And who should show up, but Aaron White? He came down the stairs with a single loaf of bread; he looked at Dante with glazed eyes and an almost bored expression. Dante was shocked to see the boy; the boy he had assumed was killed by Agnus, or something of that sort. He sat up and looked over to him.

"I thought you were dead." Dante said, shrugging with his one hand, "Is that whole thing for me?"

Aaron nodded, walking over to the cell and handing Dante the loaf, he took it, but continued to look at the boy cautiously. "You're wondering why I'm still here?"

"That…and I'm wondering why it looks like you haven't slept in five days." Dante replied, his mouth full with bread, "What did he do to you? What did he threaten you with?"

"I wasn't threatened…" Aaron said, "I was blessed. Or…so they said."

"Oh, more religion, huh?" Dante groaned, "Look, Sparda's not a god. He never will be a god. And if you consider him a god, you're an idiot."

"I don't…see him as a god…the only god I believe in…is the Savior."

"Jesus?"

"I was supposed to bring you water."

"Can you do me a favor?" Dante said, "Over there, in my coat, there's a journal. It's handwritten. I want you to deliver it to His Holiness."

Aaron nodded and searched the Red Assassin's coat over; he didn't find much, just a rotting half eaten apple and a few candy bar wrappers. He looked over to the Red Assassin and shrugged, "There's nothing in here."

"…What do you mean?"

"…There's nothing in here. What more do I have to explain? Why was a journal so important, anyways?"

"…I…I must have dropped it, shit!" Dante swore, biting his lip. He looked over at Aaron White, "Tell me, what happened to you? You knew what was going on, right? What do you know, now?"

"…I'm not allowed to share that information." Aaron sighed, "If I did, they'd hang me. But…I want you to know something."

"What is it?"

"…When….when…the final hour passes, and you're scheduled to die…There's going to be a body. But…but…" Aaron trembled, he didn't even look at Dante as he spoke with shaky words, "It…it's not…going to be your body."

"Then who is it?" Dante said, but Aaron shook his head.

"I can't. I've said too much."

"It's not a woman, is it? Tell me it's not her!"

"I can't tell you, I have to get back to my post!"

"HEY! HEY! Get—" Dante groaned as the steel door slammed. He fell to the ground and tossed the bread on the ground, having lost his appetite. As it hit the ground, a gray rat crawled out of a small crevice and began to gnaw at the bread. Dante watched as it filled itself, and he spoke quietly, "You'll leave some for me, right?"

The silence overflowed him, he leaned against the wall, staring out the window. The sun was leaving, bloody as ever. Yet Dante was not the only one watching this bleeding sun set, upstairs, Kyrie had a much better view of that bloody sun, dipping into the ocean. She sat on her hospital bed as Agnus fed her. Lecturing in a quiet whisper that only they could hear, "Now…I know it wasn't entirely your fault, but you know that I forbade you to go near that woman. I'd ask you what she told you, if you could even answer me…which is rather annoying at the moment, because I know she told you something important."

Kyrie shook her head, trying to signal to him that nothing had happened between the two of them aside from friendly banter and a demonstration of Cat's Cradle. Though even then, Agnus was very unlikely to listen to her.

"Though…I'm sure it's nothing to be really worried about, after all, chances are, with Credo stepping in, for her safety, of course, you won't be seeing her again. So I guess we don't have a thing to worry about, now do we?"

Agnus smiled at Kyrie, but she gritted her teeth and flipped the tray on him very swiftly and jumped out of the bed. She stared at him as he approached her, she held her violin case out like a club, when Gloria started to yell.

"What are you doing to her?" She screamed nearly at the top of her lungs, Agnus and Kyrie looked over to her to see that she was sitting up straight and staring at Agnus. Words couldn't describe the expression on her face. Soon enough, Credo came storming in.

"What is going on? Gloria? What are you yelling about?"

"Ask him!" She yelled back. Credo examined the situation, Kyrie with her violin case at the ready, Agnus with the food spilled all over him as he leaned on the hospital bed.

"Your Holiness…"

"She flipped the tray on him, but I saw that look on his face, Credo! I couldn't hear a word he was saying, but I could tell he was taunting her! I could see it in his eyes!"

Credo paused for a moment. He recalled the words of the Red Assassin, the look in Agnus' eyes. He looked at Kyrie, he bit his lip. "Kyrie…" He said, trying not to stand too close to her, "Please…go to your room."

Kyrie looked at him angrily, she did not swing her violin case at Credo, instead, she found it more fitting to throw it instead. It smacked against Credo's chest, knocking him over. Kyrie clenched her fists in anger, Gloria stared, horrified at the situation. Credo lifted himself up, his anger looked even worse than Gloria's. Kyrie stood her ground, but everyone else in the Infirmary knew what was going to happen, they all knew that look. The look Credo had when he was about to snap.

"I…I…HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!" he yelled, standing up and grabbing Kyrie's shoulders, shaking her violently, "What do you want from me? What am I doing wrong? What do you expect? What am I supposed to do? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Credo, let her go!" Gloria yelled.

"Your Holiness! Stop it!" Agnus called.

"I've tried everything I could, damn it! I did my best to protect you! To raise you! I sanctioned you a bodyguard! I don't know what else you'd want from me! What am I doing wrong? How dare you be so ungrateful!"

Kyrie didn't move, she only continued to stare at Credo with her same, almost emotionless eyes.

"…It's always about you, isn't it? What about me? Why don't you try walking a mile in my shoes, you ungrateful brat." He growled.

The smack resonated across the room as everyone watched in shock. Credo's cheek stung, but it only served to feed his hungry anger. Bad became worse as Credo grabbed Kyrie by the collar and shoved her into the nearest wall, his yelling was incoherent as was everyone else's as the doctors rushed to Credo as he raised his fist and struck at the girl. Agnus got there first as he pried him off, Credo grabbed Kyrie's hair, but the assistant doctor grabbed his arm, forcing him to release the girl as she fell face first into the edge of a table.

Agnus was at her side, and for once, Kyrie was grateful as he helped her up, her face was bleeding from the injuries and her head having hit the corner of the table, she looked up at Credo, who shook off the assistant doctor, he stared at her, the pained look in her eyes as blood poured down her forehead and even into her eyes.

"…How does it feel? To be hurt? To look like a fool?"

"…What has happened to you?" Gloria snapped, Credo turned around and faced her, "My god…you're a monster."

"The difference, Credo…" Agnus said, "…Compared to you…compared to an ex-soldier, a general…she's completely defenseless." He picked Kyrie up and gave Credo a fierce look, "The only one who looks like a fool here, is you." He shook his head and walked out of the room, "Cecil would be so disappointed."

Credo froze in horror. He looked around the Infirmary. The looks of anger directed at him, even Gloria was shaking her head at him, "Gloria…please…I was…"

"No! Don't you dare try to justify yourself! I once thought that letting the doctor take care of her was a bad idea, but I was wrong! It was the best idea you ever had! God knows what you would have done to her! Now get the hell out!"

"Gloria."

"GET OUT!" She screamed. "I don't even want to look at you! Look at what you've done! And you expect us to take your side? Get out!"

Credo was silent, but soon did as demanded and left the room. He didn't even look behind him as he headed straight for his room. He stood against his door as he shut it, and looked at his hands, they were smeared with the blood, the blood of his family. He clenched them and brought his fists to his face and slid down the door. The shame ate away at him, the words that Agnus spoke echoed in his head over and over again, they gripped at him, they crushed his heart, they shattered his skull.

Gloria was sitting in her hospital bed, looking at her cast, she sighed and watched as the doctors worked on their jobs, treated the other patients. One person came by and cleaned up the blood that was on the floor. Gloria was angry, that much was true, but she wondered. Why was Credo so furious and angry? Of course Kyrie had gotten out of hand, but why did that compel him to attack her so viciously? Was it the stress? It must have been, though it hardly pardoned Credo's actions.

Another thing that concerned her was Agnus and Kyrie, they had left, but Agnus had not come back. It made her nervous, if there was anything that worried her most, was that man; that large, and temperamental man, was alone with Kyrie, she was alone with him, who knows what could happen? She didn't want to think about what he could do to her.

However, in case you are curious, I'll let you know, that Agnus was in Kyrie's room, and was cleaning her wounds as she flinched in pain. She had thrown the violin case at Credo because she was sick of him treating her like she wouldn't understand "adult talk", as you'd call it. After all, what was there that she would not understand? She was sure that she had seen enough to understand.

It was Credo who didn't understand, and it was Credo who was the "insane" one, as far as she was concerned.

"There, now." Agnus said, dressing her wound, brushing his hand on her eye, now blackened, "You look much better, and I'm sure you've learned your lesson about trying to cause a scene, haven't you?"

Kyrie stood up and prepared to leave the room. But Agnus grabbed her hand and threw her down, he smirked at her as he left the room, locking the door behind him. Kyrie was alone, locked in, then again, it was getting dark.

Lady had been wandering the halls before the incident, heading for her room, when she bumped into a knight, who was very quick to grab her arm. She gasped and prepared to hit the man in her defense, but he spoke in a soft, quiet, and kind voice. "You can trust me." He said, looking at her, his brown hair covering his eyes, Lady could see the yellow tint in them, "You're our guest. My name is Aaron, don't worry. I…I know what you want."

"What are you talking about…?" Lady said, pulling away from him as he released her, she looked around the halls, there was no one in sight, the boy named Aaron leaned in close to her, he continued to whisper in her ear.

"You want to help her. You want to stop him. I can help you. You're using Nero's room, temporarily. In his closet are his old white Order uniforms, tonight, I want you to put one on, and I'll come and fetch you at midnight, I'll show you everything there is to know. You can trust me, you're our guest, and I'll do anything to make sure you are satisfied."

Lady was frozen, even as he walked away, thinking about what he meant, if he was trustworthy. If he was working for Agnus. Still, even if so, this was still an opportune moment for her, and she wasn't about to throw it out. Not to mention, he was going to come to her anyways, the least she could do was answer.

The night sky blanketed Fortuna, thunder rolled as clouds formed together in the Mitis Forest, covering everything in a terrifying pitch black, ultra violet fog shrouded the paths of the forest as an echoing voice could be heard. Taunting. Screaming.

The screaming grated Nero's ears as he looked around, trying to adjust his eyes to his new surroundings, he knew that in his position, sleep was not an option, it wouldn't be an option until Echidna was gone. Until all the seeds that wandered the area were destroyed, or at least until Nero made it out of there alive.

He had woken up to the sound of her cruel laughter and the realization that the night had taken over. It sent shivers up and down his spine over and over again, he clutched his sides and bit his lip, looking around, unable to see, only able to hear the hissing and the laughing, not even being able to tell where he was, where the noises were coming from or what was even making them.

He would have felt his way through, if the forest wasn't alive. Instead, Nero had to make due with using his glowing claw as a dim light to see what he could and walk through the area without getting attacked, but even then, the light was so dim, he could barely see an inch in front of his nose.

As he was walking, a shimmering blue light caught his attention, causing him to spin around in shock and look for anything that might be a threat. However, to his surprise, it was nothing he should fear.

It was one of the blue bats Alastor had showed him.

Nero took in a deep breath and held his hand out to the creature as it fluttered about and almost staggering, landed on his arm. There was a surging feeling almost as it landed on Nero's skin, it tickled, more than anything. Nero attempted to pet the creature with the Devil Bringer, but upon contact, it was sucked in, absorbed into his arm.

Nero stared at his hand in awe and horror as it illuminated much brighter than it had before. Nero didn't know what to think as this happened, if he should feel terrible for what had happened. If he should feel grateful.

Getting a better view of the forest now, Nero could clearly see that there were several chimera seeds wandering around, immediately he covered his arm, realizing that the light was drawing them to him. He could hear their webbed feet crawling over to him, he turned around and tried to run, but his foot got tangled in something. He hit the moist dirt with a loud _thud_. The smell of the ground wrinkled his nose as he rolled over, putting his arm up in his own defense.

They came.

They poured out of his arm like a plague. A plague of electricity.

Hundreds of them, millions of them.

They attacked the seeds, surrounding them and tearing them apart until they were nothing but gashed leaves and vines. Nero stood, he watched in awe as the rush of electricity circled the area, all at once, they rushed towards him.

He threw his hands up, he could feel a surge rush through him, it knocked him over. He looked around, the bats were all gone, and his arm was glowing brightly. It had happened again.

His claw was not as it seemed. It was a sponge. A sponge to take in demonic abilities. That was why the sword was in there as well...

But how else could it be used? What else could it do? What other abilities could he gain just by touching something of demonic traits?

**BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY  
What would it do to him?  
His mind?  
His conscious? **

Nero thought of all these things, he wondered what would happen to him in the end. However, he had no time to think about this, as he could hear the screaming of an anguished mother, coming closer to him. He turned around, his heart skipped as an open mouth was mere _inches_ from devouring him.

His feet were glued to the ground, the teeth closed around him. His stomach churned, he fell flat on the dirt. His heart was pounding, he looked around, curious as how he was in a new area without even moving. He heard Echidna turning her snake-like body around, in the dim light, he could see her coming for him once again.

This time, he jumped. He grabbed hold of one of her scales as she rushed through. The wind whipped his face, he kept his head down and tightened his grip. Flying through the air, she rushed through several trees, one branch slapped Nero, he lost his grip immediately and fell across her body. He reached out, barely grabbing the end of her tail. He hung on, she whipped in and out of the forest, trying to shake him off. Nero wouldn't let go.

It wasn't too long though, before Nero's arm grew tired, and with one last whip of her tail, he let go, plummeting for the cold, hard ground. His stomach churned once again, and he found himself landing gently on the ground from a closer distance. He knew that somehow he was teleporting, but how to control it…he had no clue.

…I had a problem with it too, at first, when I think about it.

He stumbled on the ground, struggling to stand, looking around, he could see a dim green color illuminating the small field he seemed to have landed in. He could hear her shrieking and screaming, her cries were almost deafening. He reached for his belt and pulled out the two guns Alastor had left behind. He aimed them at her.

"It's time…to pull some weeds…" He called bravely, quickly running and jumping over to Echidna, who charged at him. There were several gunshots during this game of chicken, but Nero jumped over her, only to have her tail swat him across the room, several seeds followed after him, Nero pulled out the guns and shot the seeds into nothing but bits of pulp.

"My children!" She screamed, the snake head opening up like a flower to show her human like torso. Nero skidded backwards on his feet and glared at her.

"You're the one shooting them like ammo. Do you even care about your children? Or do you not expect anyone to fight back?"

At this, Echidna gave an almost pained cry and dove for him again, He jumped out of the way, turning, he reached his hand out for her, the blue specter reached out with him and grabbed her tail. Nero grunted a little bit as he took this moment to flip her over his head, as she hit the ground, a large cloud of dust emerged.

But Nero wasn't finished yet. He decided to swing her around his head before letting her go. She squirmed and cried, "My forest! My children!" She wailed, she almost begged him. Nero glared at her.

"My friends!" He retorted. Echidna began to laugh.

"Do you truly care about those two traitors?" She said, "After what they did? After who they served?"

"Who they served? Who did they serve?" Nero demanded. He paused, he looked at the two guns. The guns that once belonged to the Dark Knight himself. Could he be the one?

Nero didn't have time to think about anything, not as Echidna swept past him, knocking him to the ground, he looked around and tried to find her, he could hear her coming for him, turning around, he saw her open mouth lunging right for him. He moved out of the way, but reached his hand out, grabbing one of the four sections of her snake-like head.

She was moving too fast. He was holding on too tight.

It tore off immediately in a splash of blood, in the second of a scream.

Nero tossed it away and brushed his hands together. She writhed and screamed, diving for Nero again. He wasn't playing games this time. He grabbed her by the tongue, she tried to yank him away, but he wouldn't let her go. The snake head opened again, he ran over to her, grabbing her head, he took his sword, drove it through her torso, revved the sword's handle. The sword ignited, he twisted again and again. Finally, blood was pouring out of her mouth. It stained her lovely white razor sharp teeth.

He pulled his sword out, he grabbed the tongue, her hair, and he pulled with all his strength, until the torso ripped out of the flower like section. There wasn't even a lower torso, only bloody roots. They remained bloody for only so long as Echidna's human body was absorbed into Nero's arm.

The rain stopped, Nero's arm glowed as several bats flew out of his arm and surrounded the snake like body and began to consume it. One of them fluttered over to one of Echidna's eggs at the edge of the field, Nero watched as a beam of light came out of the creature's body, cutting the egg in half.

**A SURPRISE PRESENT  
Alastor and Ifrit popped out.  
They were covered in slime,  
they were gasping for air.  
But it was still them.**

Nero's heart skipped a beat. He found himself overwhelmed with joy. Quickly he ran over to them, helping them to their feet, they stumbled a little bit, using Nero's shoulder to keep them up. Alastor was stretching his arms and trying to stay standing. He was the first to notice the headless body of Echidna before it finally crumbled into nothing. He gave out something of a pained gasp.

"You…you killed her!" he moaned, falling to his knees.

"You're kidding, right?" Ifrit snapped, "She nearly killed _us_, it's a good thing she's dead, you idiot."

"But…but…"

"You guys…" Nero breathed, "You're okay…"

Ifrit nodded, "Yeah…so?"

"Nero…" Alastor spoke, watching as the boy staggered a little with his footsteps. He stood up, ready to catch Nero if he was to fall over, but the unexpected happened as Nero wrapped his arms around Alastor's neck and held him close. "Nero…We were…fine…"as he spoke he wrapped his arms around Nero, rubbing his back, trying to calm him down.

"I thought you were dead…" Nero mumbled.

"…We're fine." Ifrit spoke. "What? Did you honestly think she could keep us down?"

"Ifrit." Alastor snapped, releasing Nero, "Leave him alone."

Nero stared at the ground, he didn't know whether to feel ashamed for being so worried or relieved to see that they were both alive, and even able to joke about their situation. He noticed he was still holding on to the two guns. He cleared his throat.

"Al? I think these belong to you." He said, handing the two pistols over to Alastor, who turned to him and took them.

"Did they help you any?"

"…A little. Did they really…belong to Sparda?"

"…Yeah, they did."

"…Who's Smooth Al?"

"Huh?"

Nero pointed to the name on the guns, "This guy, Smooth Al, who is he? Is he you? Al?"

"He wishes he was Smooth Al." Ifrit teased, "This Al's anything but _smooth_."

"Shut up, Ifrit." Alastor growled, he cleared his throat, "Smooth Al…is my brother. He's a gunsmith…"

"He took Alastor's last girlfriend; they don't get along very well."

"…It was bad enough that Nevan fantasized about Sparda, but for her to run off with Smooth Al…What does he have that I don't?"

"Exceptionally smooth hair and a bad boy attitude?"

"I can be bad! He's a pimp! He owns a strip club! What could she possibly see in him?"

"Well he makes a lot of money, you know. More than you. I mean, you, Dante, and I…we struggled for meals just about every day!"

"…So then…" Nero spoke, "You guys…you guys really served Sparda himself?"

Alastor looked over at Nero in shock, "…Yeah, we were his good friends."

"…Then if you served Sparda…what does that make this…Dante guy?"

"…Well Nero…Sparda…and Dante, they're, well you see…" Alastor was choking on the words, he couldn't find out how to tell Nero.

"Dante is the Son of Sparda." Ifrit said quickly, arms crossed.

Nero's mouth dropped, "The Son of Sparda? Then…if that's true, why did he shoot His Holiness?"

"We already told you. His Holiness stole something of great importance from Dante. Sparda's sword."

"…What?"

Alastor fidgeted, "That sword, in the wrong hands, could cause great destruction, and for it to be stolen, then that's definitely the wrong hands."

"But, His Holiness is dead, so all you have to do is take the sword back. Right?"

Ifrit nodded, "Unfortunately, it's been a few days since Dante's shot the guy. He's been silent, we don't know what happened, so we came here to check on him."

"Wait, you guys haven't heard from him?"

"Not a word." Alastor said, "Not even a phone call."

"…Didn't you guys say that he was in Fortuna Castle?"

"That's what we believe, if Choirgirl said she was saved by him in there. Well, she didn't really _say_ it, but, you know."

Nero's throat was dry, he looked back in the direction of the castle, "…He might…he might be in there. He might be torturing him!" He began to head for the castle, when two hands grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't worry about him." Alastor said, "Dante can take care of himself, you need to get home. If we can stop this Agnus guy, then we won't have to worry about Dante."

"If he survived Mallet Island, he can survive this, we're sure. Trust me."

"…They thought the same about me when I was sent there. They thought that I had the strength to get out alive. I don't want him to be next."

"Nero…You don't have to worry, Dante was born a half breed, he's had a long time to understand his powers and how to use them, and he's been able to get himself out of sticky situations. Don't worry, he'll be fine."

Nero continued to look out in the direction of the castle, he looked the other way, the path to Headquarters. He clenched his fists, he sighed, and finally, he decided.

"You're right…as long as I…we…can stop Agnus, Dante should be safe."

They moved on. The sun rose up to the sky once again.

**TIME UNTIL THE EXECUTION  
58 hours  
54 minutes  
37 seconds**


	14. Chapter 14

It was almost quiet in the infirmary; that was the way Agnus liked it. Unless he was performing a surgery, he wanted no one to scream. The screaming was only tolerable in Fortuna Castle. He began to think, it had been quite a long time since he had been in there since the bitch Mary Ann had blown it up and destroyed it.

"…Nero's body is probably rotting." He spoke quietly to Kyrie, who was playing her piano, "…I haven't gone to Fortuna Castle in a very long time. I haven't been able to keep his body fresh. I've been too busy keeping you in line…" Kyrie's fingers stopped gliding across the ivory as she stared at him. He gave a shrug of the shoulder, "It probably smells in there now." He spoke as he returned to his desk work. Kyrie returned to her piano, knowing that he was only talking to spite her. She had hope; still, she still believed that a ghost was watching over her. She still believed that the Lady was going to get her out of here.

As soon as the thoughts entered her head, the infirmary door opened up, and the sound of clacking heels approached. Kyrie noticed how Agnus' face became rather angry. She was almost thrilled to see this Lady cause such a reaction in him. She was rubber, and he was glue. Or so she saw it that way.

Lady looked around the infirmary, neither Agnus nor Choirgirl were in sight, she looked behind the double doors, closed. She wondered if that was where they were. It had to be. She could hear the piano playing a sad melody. She didn't have the time though, she saw Gloria, sitting up in her bed, staring straight at her, as though surprised that she would show her face in here since Credo had dragged her out last time.

"I need to speak with Credo." She told her, "Can you tell me where he is?"

"…I don't care where he is." Gloria replied, "I could care less about him."

Lady was taken aback by this sudden behavior, "Please…I need to talk with him, it's urgent."

"If she says she doesn't know, she doesn't know, now I'd prefer that you left, instead of standing around and pestering my patients." Agnus said, entering from behind the double doors, glaring at Lady.

Kyrie walked in after him, a white hood over her head; she was turning her head a little bit away from Lady, who spoke, "Kyrie…where is your brother? Will you show me where he is? I need to speak with him."

"And what do you need to speak with him about that's so…urgent?"

"A rat. A huge rat in my room."

"Such is a symptom of the dead." Agnus said with a small smirk.

Kyrie glared at Agnus, she wished she was wearing Lady's boots; she would do anything to drive those heels into his toes. She looked at Lady and tore a map of Headquarters off the wall.

"You little-!"

"But Dr. Dei…she doesn't know any better, remember?" Lady cooed tauntingly, ignoring Agnus' glare. Kyrie pointed out the directions to Credo's room. Lady nodded in understanding.

As Kyrie looked at her, Lady saw it.

The dark bruise surrounding Kyrie's eye.

Anger boiled in her veins, she turned to Agnus, she began to yell.

"What have you done to her? Why did you do that? What did she do? Was it because of me? If it's because of me, THEN SWING YOUR FISTS AT ME!" She screamed before storming off, slamming the door as loudly as she yelled.

Gloria looked at the door, then back to Agnus, who had his arms crossed, and was staring at the floor. Kyrie was already back in the music room, playing her piano.

She wondered, an almost horrifying sensation overflowing her, why the lady accused Agnus of hitting her. Why he would be her first suspect. She looked at Agnus, and she saw it. The wicked smile as he approached her.

"You look tired." He mumbled into her ear. "You should get some rest."

"…What…have you done to her?" She gasped.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Gloria." He said, adjusting her bed, so that she would be lying down. "Your health is improving. How's your leg?"

"…Quite frankly…if I could move it, I'd be kicking your ass right about now." Gloria whispered angrily.

Lady had followed the directions Kyrie had given, finding Credo's room was easy, but it was figuring out which door to use that had her baffled for a moment. The map showed, if she recalled correctly, that one door led to an office, the other led to a bedroom. She couldn't remember which was which, but she dove in anyways.

It was the door to the office. Credo was sitting at his desk, staring hopelessly at his hands, he didn't even look up at Lady as she entered. "Your…Holiness?" she spoke quietly, "Your Holiness, I need to speak with you."

Credo gave a small look at her, then back down at his hands, "It's you." He breathed, his words were heavy, layered with shame as he spoke, "I didn't expect you to come here."

"Your Holiness, I need—"

"These hands…twice now…twice now they've shed the blood of my own family…I struck her. I hurt her. I thought revenge was supposed to be…sweet, but this…this tastes like bile, building up in my throat…I hate it. And I would do anything to take it all back."

Lady looked at Credo in horror, but she didn't speak, she couldn't speak.

"This job…it's destroyed me…no…I've destroyed myself. My own selfishness is what had destroyed us. I took Gloria from her. My own desires came before her, and I dumped her on the closest person I could see. My father…he always said that I had no responsibility. I think…he's right. I don't deserve this job.

"My father…I hated him. What more is there to say? He was always so caught up in his work, he always yelled at me when it came to my training as a knight. He knew I didn't want to become one, but he forced me in anyways. I skipped so many sessions. The house I lived in was not a home to me. And…to be honest…I hated my sister back then, too. She was always his favorite. He spoiled her. And…there was the orphan boy he cared about so much too, but when it came to me, he'd only raise his voice.

"One night…I was fed up with him. I had already made arrangements at a friend's house, I was ready to move in. He stopped me in the kitchen, demanded where I was going, I told him I was leaving, told him I was going to quit my training…told him…I was sick of his shit and that…I hated him.

"…To this day…I can still feel that slap across my face. I still smell my mother burning dinner, I can still hear Kyrie sobbing in fear. His face was so angry, but even so, he moved out of my way, he let me go, he told me…that I was no son of his. I didn't even look back at my house. I just left.

"…A few days later, just a few days later…my father was reported missing. At first…I didn't give a damn. I hoped he was dead. But then…I began to worry, so I went home, to be there for my mother and sister. Not too long after…the Order…they uncovered my father's mutilated body. I told them that a demon killed him, but I know the truth. He was…possessed by a demon…and I…I had to kill him…in order to save my family.

"I murdered my father, but…it was in defense. He had been turned into a monster. I never told anyone. Just that I killed the demon. They believed it killed my father as well. I went back to training, I wouldn't let anyone take my sister. I took care of her, because I knew that if anything, my father would have wanted me to. That was also why I continued training as a knight. Because I know he wanted me to. Because his words echoed in my head, and I wanted to be known…to be known as Cecil Eleison's son…even though…it still kills me to hear that.

"His shadow…was always so threatening. It hovered over me and kept me in the darkness. I tried to escape it so many times, but it was as though…fate had always dragged me into the darkness of my father's shadow. I followed in his footsteps, even though his shoes were too big for me. They were too big…I'd trip. But I'd always get back up and keep walking…Now look where I am…The Vicar of Sparda. And I'm only…twenty-four. I've surpassed him, but it's been at…such a cost. She hates me…they both hate me…I've become…alone, secluded in this bedroom. What good is luxury when you have no one to share it with?"

Lady was still silent, petrified by the words Credo had spoken. Soon, she saw herself. She saw a man, maybe a little over thirty or forty, his bald head was bleeding, the scars on his face were pulsing, he stared at her, he stared at her, begging her. Don't do this.

One eye was red.

The other was green.

There was a gun in her hand, aimed right at him; her finger was sweating as it rested on the trigger. Her heart had stopped beating as she stared at him with cold eyes. She did not flinch. Not even once. Not even once as she pulled the trigger. And again, and again, and again, and again, and again until there was only the sounds of dry shots echoing in her ear.

Her hands stung, they trembled.

Her face was dripping with tears.

His head was dripping with blood.

Lady didn't even think about what she was doing. She lunged forward, she grabbed Credo's face, and pulled him into a long, warm kiss. She felt his arms wrap around her back.

"It doesn't change anything…" She mumbled, pulling away, "It doesn't relieve any sins, it only adds to the pile…"

"I'm…a horrible person. I've always been a horrible person, I've lived my life on a lie, I ran away from the truth, and tried to replace him, I thought that…stepping into his shoes would help me cope, but I know that it changes nothing. But even so…thank you."

"What did I do?"

"…I never told anyone what happened to my father. I've finally confessed, I feel the weight….has been lifted…if even a little bit. And I know…that you probably didn't want to get wrapped up…in any of this, but…I just…I just…"

"You just needed to tell someone." Lady finished. "You just wanted to say it…"

Credo released Lady, he stared at the floor, "You should just…go now."

"Yes, Your Holiness…" Lady said, leaving the office. She stumbled into her room; she lay down on the bed that belonged to the Ghost of Fortuna.

She didn't even consider what she wanted to say to Credo. She curled up in the sheets, she fell asleep. She had been awake since midnight, after all.

Credo stared at the floor, he felt filthy for kissing the strange woman, but felt clean for his confession. Yet still…it pained him…that the last true memory of his father, were those words, that angry face, and the dim lights in the streets as Credo walked alone, never once looking back.

Its things like these that remind me of the days when Nero was still wandering the Purgatory world with me. It's one particular thing that always stood out for me. It started when Nero was still beginning to accept that he was dead.

There was a visitor to his room, she stood there in the middle, tears were falling from Kyrie's face, Nero watched her, I watched him. She began to speak in a sad voice.

"I never…I never told you…I never once told you, Nero…how much…you truly meant to me. How much I…I loved you." She fell to her knees, "Nero…I loved you…I'm sorry! Because now…now I know, that it means nothing anymore! It doesn't matter how many times I say it, because you won't hear me!"

She was all kinds of devastated, she was torn apart by his disappearance, by the horrible truth that he wasn't ever coming back. I felt for her. But Nero….he stood there, he didn't make a move, though he usually would, he'd try to yell at people. But this time…he stood very still.

"…I never…I never thought it was true." He said, a few hours later, "I always thought that…it was one-sided. That I had feelings for her, but she only wanted to be my friend. To hear her speak those words, Vergil…to hear her say those three words…I've never felt better. I only wish…that I could signal to her…that I did hear her."

It was a "dead thing", really. We wander around the land of the living, and we hear confessions we never expected. It happened to me.

**A SHAMEFUL EXPERIENCE  
I saw a grown Dante cry.  
Like a child.  
Over me.**

It was one of those moments where he found himself staring at the mirror. He stared at his reflection for a long while; he clenched the sink below the mirror. He hung his head, he began to tremble, he covered his face, and he bawled. He fell to his knees, he continued crying. That whole time…those long minutes, I stood there, I watched him. I waited. For him to stop.

I demanded for him to stop.

I begged him to stop.

We always try to make the living stop.

It was around eleven when Agnus suddenly left the infirmary, Kyrie was left alone in the music room, staring at the piano keys, she was wondering what was happening between the Lady and her brother. She wanted to see Dante again; she wanted to see him one last time before he died. She wanted to tell him how she felt, how grateful she was that he risked his life for hers, how terrible she felt for causing his capture.

She wondered if anything would return to normal. If she would ever escape this white, blinding prison and be set free. If anyone was coming to help her at all. She continued to stare at the piano keys; she lightly tapped on one, making a small tone that gave an echo in the small room.

There were several loud bangs on the door that caused her to jump. She stood and opened the door just a small crack. On the other side of the door was a knight, staring at her, smiling. "Dr. Dei wants your help. He needs you to deliver something for him."

Kyrie nodded and grabbed her violin case, she left the room and looked for the doctor, but he was nowhere in sight, she looked back at the knight, who shrugged, "He's in his room. Do you need a map? I can show you where his room is." She took a step back, she looked at him nervously, he smiled and took a piece of paper and a pen, he began to draw a map to his room. "You go down here to the great hall, there's a door to your left. You'll come across an elevator, you ride it all the way to the top. Down the hall at the end is his room. Okay?"

Kyrie stared at the map, she trembled as it was handed to her, her hands were shaking as she grabbed the paper, the knight smiled still, he told her that there was nothing to be afraid of. That the doctor only needed her to deliver something for him, that was all. He would not harm her, he just wanted her to do a job for him.

She clutched her violin case handle tightly, she looked at the knight, who had already left the infirmary, she stared at the paper. She looked around, the assistant doctor was treating a patient when he looked right over at her. "Get going." He said sternly, "The last thing you'll want to do is keep Agnus waiting, he's bound to throw a fit if you're not on time. He's not going to bite you, so get going."

She looked over to Gloria, who was sleeping peacefully, Kyrie knew that there was no way out of this, Agnus wanted her. In his room. She clung to her violin case and turned to leave the room. She looked at the map, though it was poorly drawn and hard to read, but she was sure that she knew where to go.

She saw the dark elevator, the metal creaked as she walked inside, she pulled the lever, and the elevator moved in a very jerky motion. She staggered a little bit and held on to the walls to keep her balance. Her heart was racing, she opened the violin case to make sure that the gun was still in there. She was probably going to need it.

The elevator came to a stop with a sudden jerk that knocked Kyrie to the ground, she was struggling to get up when the metal gate opened, and Aaron White helped her to her feet. She looked at him in shock, he was looking rather tired, "The elevator takes a while to get used to. It's really old, but Dr. Dei says it's better than going up stairs."

She looked at him, asking what he was doing up here, why he was in Agnus' room, what he was up to, if anything. He didn't speak another word as he entered the elevator and pulled the lever. Though Kyrie couldn't help but notice that he was hiding his hands behind his back for some odd reason. She turned and looked down the dark hallway, the door to Agnus' room. She gulped, but continued on walking.

She opened the door slowly, to be greeted with an angry outburst, "What is it this time? What do you need now?" She looked around the circular room and found Agnus at a desk, facing away from her, he had a screwdriver in his hand, he dropped it as he banged his fists on the desk, "DAMN IT WHAT DO YOU WANT?" he screamed, Kyrie backed away as he turned around and stood up, "YOU! What have you been doing? SNEAKING IN? SNEAKING OUT? I heard you, you little rat! What were you doing? What?"

Kyrie fell down as he hovered over her, she shook her head, he grabbed her by the collar and lifted her to her feet. He grabbed her shoulders, he shook her, "If it wasn't you, then who was it? Who left this room? Couldn't have been so long since they left, who was it?"

She knew it would be a good idea to tell him the truth, but she knew that she had to protect Aaron. He had helped her out too many times to just rat him out like this. She took her hands and she covered her head.

"He had a hood on?"

Kyrie nodded, hiding her face from him, her heart was beating so fast, she was sure that she was going to vomit it out any second now. And she preferred to not be facing Agnus if that was to happen. She silently whimpered, crying as she tried to hide her face. Agnus put her down, he grimaced and walked back to his desk, "Damn rat…I'll find him…You stay there, I'm not done with these repairs yet. BUT DON'T YOU TOUCH ANYTHING!" He screamed, Kyrie figured no one could hear him all the way up here.

She looked around, she saw his large bed, it was made up very nicely, on his nightstand, she saw some pictures. None of them were turned down. She sat down on his bed, Agnus looked over to her, but looked back, apparently she was welcome there. She looked at the pictures, she couldn't deny it either, this woman was Agnus' wife, but she was almost identical to Lady.

Was she his daughter?

Either way…this woman…was Kalina Ann. Her mother's sister. Her aunt.

She was beautiful. No wonder Agnus fancied her so much. And it was no wonder that he and Lady hated each other, he reminded her of his wife, and she hated him. That would be the perfect setting for a feud.

She looked away from the picture and across the bed, where there was a hutch, a large hutch. On the middle shelf, Kyrie saw something. Something that caught her eye. She stood up, and she walked over to the hutch, she looked at the object, she was about to put her hand on the glass.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH ANYTHING!" Agnus screamed, Kyrie backed away, he marched up to her and shoved a large black case into her arms, she held it by its handle, she kept her head down. "I want you to deliver this to room twelve-oh-four, you hear me?" Kyrie nodded, and left the room, she could feel his eyes on her.

She left the room, trembling. She waited for the elevator to come back up, she pulled the lever, the elevator shook her down, she began to sob. She knew what she saw in that hutch. There was no doubt about what Agnus had done. None at all.

In that hutch was her father's cane.

After they found his body, they never recovered his cane.

Because Agnus held it as a trophy.

She sulked all the way to room 1204, she looked so miserable as she walked, but no one noticed, she made her way to the room, and knocked solemnly on the door.

"Who is it?" Replied a quiet, yet somehow familiar voice, the door opened a pinch, the eye looked around, and the door opened. "Oh, the delivery girl." He smiled, looking down at her.

Kyrie gasped, she recognized the man, she remembered him, when she first returned to Headquarters, the man who was yelling at Credo, the one who was arrested. His light brown hair was matted and all over his face, he wasn't even fully dressed.

"Nice shiner," he commented, looking at her black eye, "Heard your mean older brother gave it to you. What an asshole, right?" Kyrie stared at him in horror and wonder, "Oh…pardon me, miss. I never introduced myself, I am Supreme General Acario. Or…I was Supreme General…before that bastard took me off. Got out of prison, now, I'm just waiting for my time to come. Now…do what you were told, and give me my sword, delivery girl."

He reached out to grab the black case, but Kyrie pulled away, glaring at him, He sneered at her and grabbed the handle on the end of the case and gave a hard tug, pulling her forward, but she still fought against him, tugging and pulling, until finally Kyrie's hands slipped and she fell forward. Acario smiled, he opened his case as Kyrie stood, he was holding his sword up to the sky, he looked at her.

"I heard what that devil man did to you. By…tomorrow I believe, He'll be dead," he pointed his sword to Kyrie's throat, "May I have the honor of cutting off his head for you?" he began to smile wickedly, Kyrie scowled, she pushed the sword away from her neck, and stormed away. She could hear him laughing, even after he slammed his door shut.

Kyrie didn't even return to the infirmary, she figured Agnus would understand. She walked into her room, shutting the door and opening her violin case. She looked at the old, handwritten journal she had snagged on the day Dante was captured. She hadn't looked at it yet, because of the nightmares she knew it would bring, but this was important, and she needed to know.

She flipped through the pages, looking around at the words, searching, finding in the lines the truth to her father's disappearance.

**JOURNAL ENTRY #18  
**_**I think the time has come. Cecil's been looking rather sulky.  
It seems his son walked out on him a few nights ago.  
I knew that brat wasn't worth anything. And yet he acts so miserable.  
Sad. Pathetic, really.  
I'll put him out of his misery.**_

**JOURNAL ENTRY #19  
**_**Wrung his neck.  
Brought him to Fortuna Castle.  
Body parts, sewn to his own dead body.  
Then, the Ceremony.  
And it was a success!  
…But I locked him up for the night.  
I kept him in Fortuna Castle.  
His screaming would alert everyone.  
He only screams the name of his wife.**_

**JOURNAL ENTRY #20  
**_**Tore out the vocal chords, can't have him screaming.  
Then, it began, I tested his obedience, and it was successful.  
He went straight for that knight I brought down there, didn't even flinch.  
Tore him apart completely, ripped out his ribcage.  
Now…all I need…  
Tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow it can all fall into place.**_

Kyrie closed the book and took a deep breath. She needed water, she was half choking on all the words she had read. It was true. It was all true, she didn't even want to read on from there. There was only thing she knew she had to do: She had to tell Credo. She stood, putting the journal back in her violin case, and left the room. She headed for His Holiness' room, she knew that it might end up being a bad idea, but she was willing to try.

Credo was looking through the drawers of his desk, finding some things he would have never expected to find, old files on himself, on his father. He looked at them, he sighed, and brushed them away. He propped his elbow on the desk and rested his hand on his palm, looking over at the portraits of the past Vicars. He noticed the one before Sanctus, a noble looking man with long black hair as he stared up at the sky.

Vicar Solemnis. Died of illness. That was what the plaque below said. Died of illness. But there was something strange about it. Credo stood up and looked at the portrait, at the plaque. There was something scratched on there, it looked like someone had attempted to remove it.

Credo saw it, he had to squint his eyes, but there was no doubt about it.

Vicar Solemnis. Died of poison.

Solemnis…there was something about that name that sounded oddly familiar. Solemnis. Credo turned back to the desk and began to look through the files under "S". Digging, searching.

Kyrie hadn't returned from her delivery, but it was good for Agnus as he broke two capsules into Gloria's soup before he gave it to her. Two this time, instead of one. "…This had better work this time." He mumbled, "Never worked so hard just to kill a fucking _woman_. Stubborn bitch."

Lady heard something in her room, her eyes flew open, there was a syringe filled with a green fluid on her nightstand, next to it was a note: _use it wisely_. She grabbed the syringe and looked at it; gently she set it back down, not exactly understanding what it was supposed to do. She looked down her bed, the white Order uniform was hanging off the end.

She stood up and yawned, scratching her head and trying to smooth out her messy hair. She took the uniform and opened the boy's closet. She hung the suit back up, looking at the closet; she noticed something poking out from the top shelf of the closet. She reached out for it, and grabbed it, it felt like a scrapbook, especially when it slipped from her hands and fell on her face.

Lady gave a small groan as she clutched her nose, nothing was bleeding. She looked at the scrap book in slight anger. She saw that it was very incomplete, no pictures were set in the plastic, they were just sitting in the book, waiting to be placed. Now that it had fallen to the ground, the pictures were all scattered. There weren't many.

One picture stood out most. Lady kneeled down and picked the photograph up; she stared at it in awe. The man in the picture looked horribly tired, his black hair was messy, parted at the bangs, there was a wry smile on his face, but aside from this, the man looked almost identical to Dante.

Lady flipped the photograph over, looking at the name written down on the back.

Ezekiel Solemnis.

Credo pulled up the files, Solemnis, he looked at the file of the deceased Vicar, Elias Solemnis. He was in rule for a while until he suddenly fell ill and died. He was currently fostering his grandson, Ezekiel when it happened, his son and daughter in law had died in a car accident. When he died, Ezekiel was under the care of the Order.

**FILE #1  
**_**When Elias Solemnis was ill, he was trusted to the Captain of the Holy Knights,  
Solomon Sanctus. The Supreme General. He never got along with Solemnis's grandson, Ezekiel, even though he tried to be friendly.  
Every day, Solemnis got worse and worse, Sanctus looked horrible himself.  
Ezekiel would yell every time Sanctus came in the room. He didn't want his help.  
Eventually, Solemnis died, Sanctus was given his position.  
But Ezekiel refused to move out of the room. He destroyed the room and even the plaque of his grandfather.  
He screamed about Sanctus poisoning his grandfather, but Sanctus claimed he was innocent.  
Ezekiel was eventually taken away, believed to be scarred by trauma.**_

Credo looked at the plaque on Solemnis' portrait. He looked back at the file, he shook his head, refusing to believe that Sanctus would poison anyone. But then again, perhaps it was true. If Ezekiel was young enough, Sanctus could have easily manipulated the people into thinking he was too young and naïve and traumatized to accept his grandfather simply passing away.

Credo froze. He stared at the file, his hands began to tremble. He took in a deep breath. His heart began to sink as he began to realize what he had done. He recalled that Agnus was very close to Sanctus. How close was that? What was the possibility that Agnus had a few tricks up his sleeve like Sanctus had? What was the possibility?

The door to his room opened, and Credo let out a yelp and slammed the file closed, looking over to his door to see who had entered. To his surprise, it was exactly who he had wanted to see.

Kyrie was looking pale when she entered, save for the black eye. Credo stood up from his chair and walked over to her, she was about to show him the journal when he grabbed her and the book slipped from her fingers. He held on to her shoulders. She closed her eyes and winced. Credo released her, his hand brushed across her cheek.

"Kyrie…" He mumbled, "I want to ask you something. Why did you smash to picture of Sanctus I had on my desk?" Kyrie looked at him, she sighed and looked away. Credo shook his head, "Sorry…I just…I guess there are times when I still expect to hear your voice. Still…I want to know…Agnus…is he…treating you properly? Has he…raised his voice? Or, threatened to harm you…?" Credo gulped, he leaned closely to Kyrie and whispered nervously, "Has…has he…touched you?"

Kyrie stared at the floor. A feeling of relief blanketed over her and wrapped her tightly. However, the fear of losing Credo also held on to her. She backed away and looked at the book on the ground. She wondered what would happen if she did, in fact, tell Credo what had happened. Would he release Dante? Even though he had his broken arm? What would he do?

"Kyrie? Why aren't you answering me? You need to tell me what's going on! Tell me what he's done to you! …He's been lying, this whole time…hasn't he? Kyrie! I know you can understand me, please, I'm begging you. I need to know what he's been doing to you."

Kyrie picked up the book, slowly she nodded to Credo. His eyes went wide. "Yes…to everything?" he stammered, "He…he's…" Kyrie looked at him, right in the eyes, and she nodded again. "Kyrie…The man…in the prison room…he said that…he said that…Agnus…was the one in Fortuna Castle…is that…true?"

Kyrie stood there, still as a statue. She did not nod, she did not shake her head. She took her index finger, and put it up to her lips. Credo's heart began to race. He couldn't find anything to say. He stared at her, feeling so pathetic. Horrible for ever believing a word Agnus had said. "Kyrie…" He mumbled, "…I've been a terrible person. I…I don't even know how to ask you for your forgiveness."

Kyrie shook her head. She turned around, Credo watched as she wearily climbed into his bed. He followed after her, He brushed her face with his hands. "I'm so…so…sorry, Kyrie. I shouldn't have been so…I bet you hate me now, don't you? I wouldn't blame you. I deserve no pity for what I've done…"

Credo began to think quickly. If the Red Assassin was telling the truth…then that would mean that Agnus had followed after him to keep Credo from listening to him. To trick him into thinking it was all a lie. That would mean that if Credo was to visit the Red Assassin now, he'd have to avoid Agnus catching him in the act. He walked out of his room and walked down the halls as casually as possible, he watched everyone, even Aaron White as he eyed him. He peeked into the infirmary, Agnus was nowhere in sight. Credo proceeded over to the prison room, where he checked once again to make sure no one was around to watch him.

He opened the door a little bit, when he heard a woman's voice. It was Lady. Credo paused and listened.

"That bastard hurt her. I saw it on her face. He doesn't deserve to live."

"That's a little harsh, Lady."

"Don't deny it. Look at what he's done to you! You can't honestly tell me that you don't want him dead, too."

"Trust me, I do. I'd love more than anything to maim him, but really, he's got an army behind him, we couldn't kill the leader without the rest of them trying to stop us."

"Quiet kills aren't exactly my type of job, same goes for you for what you did to that last one."

"…I was really frustrated, I had been trying to go for a quiet kill even though I was told to make a scene, it's like I was cursed so that I had to make a scene."

"…So, what should we do? Kill him now?"

"No…we have to wait for the others to get here."

"If they ever get here! They've been in the damn forest for too long!"

"Maybe they got caught up in something."

"What if it's too late? In…thirty or so hours, it will be too damn late, we have to act now!"

Credo shut the door. He left to his room, he sat at his desk.

…Everyone was against him.

…If only Credo had stayed a few seconds longer.

**THE LAST WORDS  
"Before Agnus pulls off the coup de' état and kills Credo."**


	15. Chapter 15

There was another exit from the Den of the She-Viper, but it was blocked by a tangle of branches of a strange tree. Ifrit had tried to burn it, but there was no effect. Nero looked down at his hand and saw that his claw was glowing. He clenched his fists and walked over to the tree.

"Careful, I don't want to have to save your ass again for your stupidity." Ifrit warned. Nero shrugged him off and placed his claw in front of the tree, the three of them watched as the branches writhed and crumbled into nothing but dust.

"…My god…" Alastor said, "What the hell have you become?"

Nero flinched, he looked over to the two of them with a pained expression, "W-what's that supposed to mean? I'm still me, aren't I?"

Alastor took a step back, then forward again, "No, no, I didn't mean it like that. I'm just saying…" He heaved a sigh, "Nero…I'm not saying that something's wrong with you, I'm just saying that you're…fast to adapt to things, you know?"

"…Adaptation by absorption? Sure."

"Ifrit, shut the hell up!" Alastor yelled.

"Hell? I can do Hell!"

Alastor glared at him and grabbed Ifrit by the arm, dragging him to a different area of the field, Nero watched them nervously.

"…Can't you see he's scared of what he might become? You're not helping him one bit." Alastor scolded angrily.

"I know, I'm giving him more reason to not be evil, can't you tell?"

"It's not helping him! Can't you tell just by looking at him that he's the kind of guy to emotionally breakdown at simple things?"

"I know, he was damn near sobbing when he saw you! What's that about? I'd be jumping with joy to get the hell away from you. Oh, I'm doing it again…"

"Ifrit. We talked about this when we first met him, you keep your mouth shut and I'll do all the talking, okay?"

"…This kid's creeping me out, you know. I mean…look at him! It's as though…"

"I know…it's as though this kid was Sparda himself."

"…But…that's not possible! I mean…what about Dante? He's related directly to Sparda…and then this kid…he's just throwing everything off balance. I don't get it."

"And I _do_? All I know…all I know…is that we've got to keep this kid in line…make sure he stays out of trouble, you know."

"Yeah…Sure, whatever you say."

"Nero!"

Nero had been laying on his back, looking at the clouds, when Alastor had called his name. The thunder devil approached him and sat down next to him, Nero turned his head a little bit, "…What's this about me and Sparda?"

"…We don't…really know. Nero…you know…you remember Vergil, right?"

"…How could I forget the man who cut my arm off?"

"…You remember Dante?"

"…I never met him, but you told me about him."

"…Nero…Dante is Vergil's twin brother."

"…He never told me he had a brother."

"Yeah, well he was not the mentioning type."

"Like your brother?"

"No, not really. I mean…Yeah, Smooth Al and I have had a lot of arguments in the past but, we've never gone as far as they did."

"Didn't you say that Dante was the Son of Sparda?"

"Yeah, Ifrit did. It's true."

"Then…Vergil's the Son of Sparda too?"

"…Yeah. We think that's why you…why you became so powerful, after all, this would mean that…well…Since Vergil's blood and soul were Sparda's blood and soul too…we think that you…considering all the power you've obtained, and the fact that Vergil transferred his soul to you. Nero…You're the Son of Sparda…not by birth but…by…I don't know. Inheritance. Something of that sort. Even more than just the Son of Sparda…especially with that arm…"

"This arm…I didn't want this…"

"Trust me, with a name like Sparda branded on you, no one wants this fate. After all…Sparda's name is huge…and infamous."

"…As if I didn't already have my own father ragging on my fate, now I have Sparda on me?" Nero snapped as he sat up, "…I mean…this is confusing now…I was hated because I was a demon. And now what's going to happen when I tell them 'it's okay, I'm a descendant of Sparda!'? I mean…no one will believe me anyway."

"Nero, it's not about who you are, what you are, or anything like that. It's about what you do. It's who _you_ are…"

Nero stood. "Yeah, yeah, I've heard all those speeches…" he mumbled, "It makes no difference."

"Nero…" Alastor stammered, standing up and going after him. Nero continued on walking, Alastor looked over to Ifrit, who smiled and gave him a thumbs up. Alastor shook his head and approached him. "If! You really aren't helping me here!"

"I know, but there's something I think I should tell you: we need to leave the kid now."

"What? Leave him?"

"… I've been thinking, that castle, we should head for it. After all, if what Nero said was true, then Dante could be being tortured as we speak, we need to find him and help him."

"But what about Nero? I mean, we can't just leave him…"

"Yes we can. He's already proved that he can be alone. So let's go, there's more important things at hand right now. So we should go."

"But he's…"

"He'll be fine, Al. Now let's go." Ifrit snapped sternly, turning around and walking away. Alastor looked over to Nero, who was already on his own path. Alastor sighed, and followed after Ifrit.

Nero walked down his path and saw the great white building out in the distance. He smiled and fell to his knees, "We're almost there!" He called, "H-hey guys! Alastor! Ifrit! Look! Headquarters! We're—" Nero turned around, seeing that he was alone. The two devils were nowhere in sight.

Nero clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. As he shook his head, he realized it would be best to return to Headquarters alone, not with two people who had been involved in the death of His Holiness…

Lady woke up, her fist was clenched as it reached to the edge of her bed. She looked at the green syringe again, and began to think about Dante. She recalled how Dante was stabbed with a syringe when Agnus took his regeneration. Perhaps this was to help him regain it? Lady didn't have time to consider what the syringe could do. She wondered what Dante would say if she showed it to him. She grabbed the syringe and hid it as she casually walked down the hallways of Headquarters.

"Stop." Called a voice from behind her. Lady turned around and saw Credo walking towards her, a few knights were trailing behind him. She turned and looked at Credo, somewhat confused and even terrified by the serious look upon his face.

"…Your Holiness?" She whispered, "Is something wrong?"

"Come here." He demanded softly. Lady gulped and walked up to him. He sighed and he shook his head, "I hate doing this…" He mumbled, then looked over to the knights, and nodded.

They grabbed her arms and held them back. Lady looked at Credo, who had already turned around and was walking away. "Just what is this about?" She cried.

"…I heard you…talking to him. You were with him this entire time, weren't you? I trusted you. And to realize you were against me?"

"…Credo…you don't know what you're doing!" Lady yelled as she was dragged away, "Credo! You're in danger! Your sister is in danger!"

**CREDO ELEISON'S GRAND MOMENT  
Just because he was walking away,  
didn't mean he wasn't listening.**

He walked. He listened. And just like his uncle before him, he began to plot.

Lady was thrown in a cell adjacent from Dante's cell. There was a brick wall between them that blocked their view of each other, but did not block their voices. However, their spirits kept them from speaking for quite a while.

**A BREAK IN THAT SILENCE  
"So…What are you in for?"**

"Dante…" Lady mumbled, "If you're trying to be funny…it's not working. Let's face it…we're screwed."

"At least you got to take a bath before you got thrown in here." Dante replied, "You know…I still have this hole in my chest, and it hurts like hell…I guess that psycho only cared about my broken bone. Really wish I had something to cover it up…or heal it up."

Lady's eye twitched, "I don't even want to think about him! He makes me so mad! I mean…the way he just…manipulates people! It's horrid! Almost an entire infantry! Even…Credo! I…I…hate him. I couldn't even hate my own father as much as I hate him!"

"…Wow. That's saying a little much, you know. After all…you were so eager to kill him."

"Demons…I hate them!" Lady snapped, kicking her foot against the wall.

"…What about me?" Dante said, "I mean…you know…you really are fast to judge! Maybe that's why he's terrified of being near you…"

"…Who? Who are you talking about?"

"Alastor."

"What about him?"

"…Has it yet dawned on you that you've only heard about him, but you've never actually met him?"

"Oh." Lady scoffed, "Well I always figured it was because he thought he was 'too cool' to be around me, or that he worked in the shadows…and he just had a soft side, something like that."

"Lady…he's afraid of you. He's heard how quick you are to judge, so he's become terrified of coming near you because he thinks you'll brush him away like he's nothing but another demon."

"…I had no idea. But why does he care so much about what I'd think about him?"

"It's nothing I should intrude on." Dante sighed, "…You know…I wonder what's going to happen to this place now that you've been locked away. Credo must have found your stash of child pornography."

"Dante, shut up! You really are not helping! Unless you just want to piss me off!"

"Of course I do. I'm such a mean person, aren't I?"

"You're doing this because I screwed up, aren't you?"

"I told you not to come in here last night, now look where we are…"

"So it's my fault?"

"Just a little bit."

"You know…we wouldn't have gotten into this mess if you had just taken the job when I offered it to you! So technically, it's your fault!"

Dante was about to reply, but he said nothing. He looked at the wall that separated him and Lady, wondering how drastic it would be if he was to punch through the wall to reach her. Even he knew that was a crazy thing to do, and simply rested his head on the wall.

Credo returned to his room to find Kyrie sleeping on his bed, as she had been last night. He wondered how Agnus had felt about this, not that it mattered to him anymore. He fell to his knees and held onto Kyrie's hand as she slept, he brushed his hand gently across her black eye.

Kyrie's face scrunched up a little bit before she opened her eyes and looked at Credo. She reached her hand out to feel the healing scratches on his face. The apology was all over her face as she looked at him. Credo grabbed her hand gently. Apparently the apology was accepted.

Kyrie watched as her brother stood and headed to his desk, she noticed the old journal was still on the ground, and quickly jumped out of the bed, tripping over herself as she ran and picked it up. Credo watched her in confusion as she set the book in his arms and suddenly left the room.

The infirmary was nearly empty, Agnus had enjoyed the time Kyrie had been away as he set the pillows on the empty beds. "Such a shame…" He mumbled to his assistant, who nodded solemnly, not seeing the smile on Agnus' lips.

"…But we lost so many…" He mumbled.

"Only three. Don't feel so down, it could have been worse."

"His Holiness won't be happy to see that Gloria's condition has only gotten worse."

"Yes, I'm pretty sure of that."

As the two doctors were talking, Kyrie walked in, toting her violin case, as always. Her heart jumped as she saw Gloria, pale and sickly, faintly calling her name on her bed. Kyrie rushed over to her and grabbed onto her hand.

"Kyrie…" Gloria moaned, "Where have you been? Dr. Dei was looking for you."

Kyrie shook her head, holding Gloria's hand up to her face. She looked at Agnus angrily, as though demanding what he had done to her.

"Kyrie…where's your brother? I want to talk to him…" Gloria moaned. Kyrie nodded and ran out of the infirmary as fast as she could go. She ran so fast to Credo's room that in opening the door, she fell over. Recollecting herself, she grabbed Credo's arm and forced him up. He dropped the book he was trying to read as she took him to the infirmary.

"Credo." Gloria gasped as he entered through the door. Credo's eyes widened as his breathing began to accelerate. He ran to her side.

"Gloria." He mumbled, "What happened to you? Gloria…!"

Gloria gave Credo a weak smile, "I'm sorry…for yelling at you, I just…"

"…Don't. Don't say that, Gloria…I deserved it, you know that. Just tell me what's happened."

"She's very ill." Agnus said quickly, "The flu seems to have infected her; I'd suggest you not stay too close to her."

"…She was brought in here with only a broken leg." Credo snapped, "How did she manage to get this ill, Agnus?"

Agnus shrugged, "Maybe she was easily susceptible to the sick people in here earlier?"

"…Why didn't they have separate rooms, then?" Credo growled, refusing to look at Agnus. "What about curtains? You couldn't block them away from other people?"

"Credo…" Gloria said weakly, "Leave him alone…I don't care about any of that. I don't want you to be angry…"

"Gloria…" Credo mumbled, kneeling down to her, "Don't talk like that, you're going to be fine. Kyrie…can't you do something?" He yelled desperately at his sister, who stood there in horror, Agnus put his hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear, Credo clenched his fists, "Get away from her, Agnus! Kyrie! Get her some medicine! Now!" Kyrie trembled as he spoke, but did not move.

Credo looked at his sister, how she stood there, petrified. Staring at him, her eyes wide, her mouth open just a little bit. She suddenly looked very serious, even angry, Credo's face softened, he couldn't believe what he was seeing, "Kyrie…don't…no. You can't be…this can't be because…"

**A DEDUCTION  
Credo was the one who gave Nero the order to go to Fortuna Castle.  
Now Kyrie was the nurse who could possibly save Gloria.  
Credo had the power to keep Nero from the castle.  
Kyrie had the power to save Gloria.  
But did Credo do anything?  
Should Kyrie do anything?**

"Kyrie…help her." Credo pleaded, "I know you can…Agnus! Do something! You there! Do something! Someone! Gloria's dying! Doesn't anyone care?" He looked down at Gloria, whose breathing was becoming more and more strained with every gasp. "Gloria…you're going to make it. Kyrie! Do something, damn it!"

Kyrie did something, alright.

She walked into her music room and came back with her violin.

She played Credo and Gloria a dirge.

Agnus watched in delight, a cruel smile on his lips.

Credo held onto Gloria's hand, her eyes stared back at him, she sighed wearily. "Credo…" She whimpered, "There's something I need to tell you…"

Credo nodded, he brushed his hand softly across Gloria's face, wiping a tear away from her eyes, he kissed her on the cheek. As she was about to speak, there were several screams. A knight barged into the infirmary.

"The Red Assassin! He's escaped!"

Oh my. How sudden.

Earlier, Dante and Lady had been talking in their cells to each other. Dante had gotten over his guilt temporarily, they began to plot, since they both knew they needed to get out as soon as possible.

"…What does Agnus _want?_" Lady said, breaking the silence, "…I mean. It seems he wants the Vicar position. Why else would he try to kill Credo and turn soldiers against him?"

Dante had been resting his eyes as she was speaking, but soon, they opened, "That's not it…" He claimed, "It can't be it, Lady…this man…he wants more than just a position! He doesn't want to be Vicar! He doesn't want to rule Fortuna! That doesn't tie in with all those experiments he was doing in Fortuna Castle!"

"Then what the hell _does_ he want? Really? What can you think of, Dante? What does Agnus Dei want more than power…?"

"...More power, of course." Dante whispered, "Lady…these people…they worship…my god. When you snuck in, dressed as a knight, what did they talk about?"

"…Aside from killing Credo? I don't know…some…Savior."

"The Savior!" Dante called, standing up, "In the journals, there was a mention, about a new savior emerging! The kid! He said he believed in the Savior! The people of Fortuna! They don't worship Sparda! They worship the Savior!"

"…Dante it's called religion. Get over it."

"No, no, Lady! This isn't just religion! What if the Savior is more than just an abstract spiritual figure? What if they're dead serious about this Savior shit? Agnus…when I first met him in Fortuna Castle, I asked him why he was doing all these experiments…and he told me that it was in order to create the perfect utopia!"

"Ever heard of a man named Adolf, Dante?"

"No, this…this could be so much worse than the Holocaust, Lady…imagine the Holocaust with demons and flying empty suits of armor."

Lady was silent, she shook her head, and replied, her voice shaky, "…And just what would be 'the perfect race' in his eyes?"

"…Lady. Didn't you say…wait a second here…that kid said…when I was supposed to be executed…then they would kill Credo. Lady, I think that I might be a part of their plan, if they don't have me, they can't move forward! Lady, I need to get out of here!"

"…Hold on. Dante, someone gave me this syringe with green shit in it, maybe you know what it is? Here, I think I still have it. Here. Take it." She spoke as she slid the syringe from her bars over to Dante's cell. He grabbed it and looked at it.

He smiled.

"…Lady…this is my ticket out of here."

"What is it?"

"My virginity! What Agnus took from me!"

"…Excuse me?" Lady replied, rather disgusted.

"…Lady this is green fluid! I…Never mind…" Dante groaned, he ripped the sling off his arm and inserted the needle into his vein. He groaned in pain but watched in delight as his wounds began to heal. Lady listened in horror to the snapping of bones. She put her ear up to the brick wall.

"Dante? Are you alright in there?" She asked. Her reply was the sound of the metal bars being ripped off the wall as Dante walked out. He threw the barred door down and posed in front of Lady, "Dante, what the hell are you doing? Are you crazy?"

"Nope." Dante said, grabbing his red jacket and throwing it on. He grabbed his pistols and his sword. "Wow, these guys really didn't expect me to get out if they left my stuff right here. They must have your stuff somewhere else, but I think this one's yours." He turned and tossed Lady her Desert Eagle.

"Dante," Lady mumbled, barely catching the gun, "What are you doing?"

"…As long as I'm gone, they won't have a reason to kill Credo. They need me to carry on their plans, as long as I'm gone, he's safe."

"…Dante…he wouldn't do the same for you."

"…That doesn't matter." Dante called back, leaving the prison room. He ran through a large group of knights, knocking several of them down, he whistled as loudly as he could, drawing attention. He wanted them to know he was leaving, distract them from who their target was bound to be.

Knights chased after him, but Dante was faster than they were, and was even able to jump over them when they tried to block his path, even push them aside if need be. They called after him, screaming and yelling incoherently. Dante couldn't help but laugh, after all, as long as he steered clear of Agnus, he was in good condition.

He finally reached the final hallway and made it outside, where he ran out and found himself in a large, circular platform, where he was blocked. Dante stopped immediately, staring at the man in front of him. He took a step back and shook his head.

"Damn it," he snarled, "Get out of the way, Your Holiness!"

Credo stared at Dante, "How did you escape?"

"…Me regeneration came back."

"It was gone?"

"Yes. Now get out of my way. I'm not going to hurt you, now move!"

Credo shook his head, and grabbed his sword from his hip, regardless of the rules, he still wanted a fight. He lifted his sword with one hand and pointed it at Dante, "You've broken out of our prison, the only choice is to kill you right here."

"…No. I'm not fighting you. I'm not going to do that to the people you care about."

"She's dead. What does it matter?"

"So you want me to off you? Is that why you came here?"

Credo shook his head, "…You didn't see it. The way she looked at me. She wanted Gloria to die. She wanted her to die…because…"

"I'm not here to solve all your problems, now move."

"None of this would have happened if you hadn't killed Sanctus!"

Dante shook his head, "…That's not it…that's not it at all. You're blaming me…for something you have done. This would have never happened if you made sure she was on the right side before you so brilliantly decided to block the path. Now move. I'm not asking a fourth time."

Credo stared back at Dante blankly. He took in a deep breath; he gripped his sword, and lunged for Dante, who barely got out of the way. Blood dripped on the platform as Dante brushed his hand across his shoulder. The wound healed slower than it usually would have, he glared at Credo.

Credo swung at Dante again, almost hitting his throat. Dante backed away hand held his hand out, "Don't do this, Credo! I'm not the one you should be swinging at! It's him! The doctor! He's been manipulating you, he wants you dead!" As Dante tried to reason, Credo swung at Dante, kicking him in the chest as he missed. Even as Dante was knocked down, he refused to fight back. Credo held his blade to Dante's throat.

"…What do you know about Agnus?" He whispered, "...Why did you kill Sanctus? Who's Ezekiel Solemnis?"

"Him again?" Dante said, "I don't know him. I know he looks like me, but I don't know who he is. Are you going to kill me for that?"

Credo scowled and held the blade closer to Dante's throat. The tip of the blade poked his skin,

"Credo, don't!"

The two men looked over to the end of the platform, Gloria stood there, clutching her stomach. The cast around her leg was gone, she looked at the two of them in horror, Credo stepped away as Dante sat himself up.

Gloria didn't even look at Credo.

"Dante!" She sobbed as she ran to the devil's side and hovered over him, "Dante…My god…"

"Gloria?" Credo whispered, backing away from the two of them, "What are you doing? Don't you know…don't you realize? He…"

Gloria was on her hands and knees, she grabbed Dante and held him close to her. Credo's heart sank. It was as though she didn't care about him. Did she even see him?

No.

She saw him.

But she cared more about the Red Assassin than Credo.

Credo continued stepping back, until he bumped into someone, and a large hand was placed on his shoulder. Agnus' voice whispered, "…She broke out of the Infirmary. I had tried to keep her away from you, after I saw what she had been doing. Your Holiness…I meant to tell you my suspicions…but I feared you'd brush them off. Now you see, though…Gloria…is a demon. She's been…seducing you! And…the way she cradles him…like he was her child. Why do you think she didn't believe he had done that terrible deed to your sister? Your Holiness…she didn't marry you…because she doesn't love you!"

Gloria's head turned over to the two of them quickly. She looked at Credo and shook her head, "That isn't true, Credo. That's not true! He's lying to you!"

"Look at the way she cradles him…the way she protects him, the man who has destroyed Fortuna! Do you know why, Your Holiness?"

"Don't listen, Credo! He's a liar and a monster!"

"It's because, she is that devil's _mother_!"

"No! He's lying!" Gloria screamed.

"…I've never seen this woman in my life, and besides. I'm pretty sure my mother was a human." Dante snapped, pushing Gloria to the ground as he stood up.

"…Who are you going to believe, Your Holiness?" Agnus whispered, "They're lying to you. They always have been. That woman has been playing you from the very beginning. I was only trying to protect you from her."

"Credo...Please!" Gloria begged, looking at him with pleading eyes.

Credo shook his head he gave her a scornful look, "...How long have you been pulling such an act? No...I probably already know." he snapped as he turned around, walking back into Headquarters. Agnus sneered at the two of them. Dante turned to leave and enter the forest, Gloria grabbed his arm.

"You're letting him go?" She snapped, "Where are you going?"

"Away. I don't want to be a part of this, and if no one's going to stop me, then far out."

"Dante!"

"Would you let go? I honestly have only met you once! And you were trying to kill me! How do you even know my name?"

Gloria was about to answer, but her stomach began throbbing in pain, she clutched her midsection and vomited on the ground, falling to her knees, "Dante! You can't let him just march on like this!"

"Are you okay?"

His response was Gloria screaming in agony, Dante circled her and tried to lift her up, but she shook him off. He tried to reason with her, but there were footsteps approaching. Dante turned to see several knights walking towards them, one had light brown hair, it was unkempt and dangled all over his face as he smirked at the two of them.

"…Acario?" Gloria gasped, "You were…in jail."

"Oh, Gloria." The man named Acario said, drawing his sword, "I want to show you what happens when little puppies disobey me…but first…take care of the big bad devil-man, there."

"Hang on, I was just about to head to the store for some hair product, you seem to need it." Dante snapped, drawing his sword, "Or preferably, you just need a haircut."

"Ooh, you're scary." Acario said, rolling his eyes as he approached Dante. The other knights ran over to Gloria and grabbed her from the ground and began to drag her away. Dante tried to follow after her.

He didn't even see Acario move. All he could feel was the cold steel puncturing though his gut. Then, Acario smiled, and twisted the handle on his sword, igniting the fuel across the blade, burning his insides. Acario placed his foot on Dante's face as he pulled the sword out.

Dante toppled to the ground.

Kyrie looked down from a window. She watched as Dante began to bleed on the circular platform. Once again, he had lost, except this time, he was left to die.

Everything was going downhill, Kyrie trembled. What was she supposed to do?

Where was her Savior, now?

She could hear footsteps approaching, some of them speaking about her, she turned around and ran out of the area as fast as she possibly could, crashing into Aaron White in the process. He grabbed her by the shoulders and escorted her out of the area.

"He'll be fine…" He mumbled, "He's going to be fine. Did you see? His arm isn't broken. He can regenerate from his wounds again." As Aaron ran, Kyrie noticed they were going straight into the prison room. Lady was behind bars, she looked over at Kyrie and Aaron.

"What happened?" She asked, "What happened to Dante?"

"We have to go." Aaron mumbled, "You have to go. Get her out of here."

"What happened?" Lady demanded, "What's going on?"

Kyrie shrugged and looked over at Aaron, who unlocked Lady's cell. " The Red Assassin didn't make it, He's still alive, but His Holiness made sure he didn't leave." He took in a deep breath, "I think His Holiness knew he was in danger."

"So he kept Dante here?"

"…As far as His Holiness is concerned, the Red Assassin is the only one who was able to get out of Fortuna Castle alive."

"…He knows Agnus is the one in charge."

"His Holiness walked off with Dr. Dei,"

Lady pushed through the two of them and ran out of the prison room, "We have to find him, otherwise he's going to get killed!"


	16. Chapter 16

**OMG WHAT? A chapter? Sorry if it kind of sucks -TD**

**

* * *

**

The time was around 3:30, it wasn't too long until the sun was about to set, and Credo had followed after Agnus, his heart was pounding like a drum, he clenched his fists, he bit his lip. Agnus led him into his small room in the infirmary.

"Your Holiness, I understand that this is probably a very difficult time for you. However, you should know that I'm here for you."

"Where's Kyrie? She wasn't around when we came in…"

"…I don't know, Your Holiness, I believe she may have rested after seeing Gloria rise from her bed after we covered her face."

"…Why was General Acario around? I had him jailed, I don't recall letting him out, or hearing that he was let out."

"You were probably too busy to remember hearing about it."

"No, I wouldn't have missed that."

Agnus tensed at Credo's words, but he said nothing, not that he could have said anything, as Credo kept on going with this little interrogation of his.

"And another thing…That man, named Ezekiel Solemnis…I saw a current…or as current as can be, picture of him. And I couldn't help but notice…"

"Yes, yes, he looks like that devil. What of it?"

"…It seems almost too close of a similarity to be coincidence. Who is he?"

"There's no relation between them, I assure you."

"…He's dead. How did that happen?"

"He was murdered. Found him near the edge of his house with a stab wound in his stomach. Trust me, it was good for the island that he died. The last thing he did was smoke his last cigarette. Damn bastard…burnt my hand." Agnus pulled off his left glove to show Credo a circular scar, right on his thumb, "Last thing he did…insult me. Leaving his son to suffer in this world."

"His son?"

"You know him…or rather…knew him. Elijah 'Nero' Solemnis."

"Nero?"

"Yes…Nero."

"But…Nero went through that change…now he looked…just like the Red Assassin. You can't tell me there's no connection."

Agnus shook his head, "I can't tell you anything, because I don't know anything."

"…Fine, then…let me ask you something else…about that woman. Lady. You two don't seem to get along very well…"

"Because I don't trust her! She's an outsider!"

"Why do you think she was able to get so close to Kyrie? It was as though…she knew something that I didn't."

"We can go in circles with this forever, Your Holiness…but there's nothing we can do,"

"…I had a conversation with Kyrie…not too long ago. But…there was something that I couldn't help but think of…before she came to see me. It seems…that Vicar Sanctus was accused of poisoning Vicar Solemnis before. And it was mostly accused from the Vicar's grandson. Apparently, Sanctus told people that the boy was traumatized and could not simply accept the fate of his grandfather.

"In reading this…I found myself thinking…about how you told me that Kyrie was insane…and I couldn't help but wonder…if you had been lying from the start to just cover up your own tracks. After talking with the Red Assassin that day…I have to admit, I did think a lot about what he had said, and when I finally was able to ask Kyrie…and she…well…she proved his words right."

Agnus froze. He looked over to Credo, who was glaring at him, he had his sword drawn, he had never noticed that before, as it was resting at his side, but now Credo had it over his shoulder as he glared at Credo.

"…So…is it true?" Credo said, "Are you the one who commands Fortuna Castle?"

Agnus clenched his fists, but took in a deep breath and crossed his arms. "You know…I've never liked you. You're just like your father. Nosy, and annoying, I had my hopes for you when you ran away from home, but then you came back and decided to try and play the 'daddy' role. Only you made it look more pathetic and sad. You have no idea how long I've wanted to just get rid of you. The only reason you're here now is because of Sanctus, telling me to refrain myself, and keeping you in charge by putting you in his position! But you…you've blown it."

Credo was in shock, his hands were trembling slightly, but he did not lose his composure as he grit his teeth and yelled, "You did not answer my question!"

Agnus laughed at this, but scowled soon after (he really couldn't hold a smile very well), "Yes, Credo, I did it! I'm the one who controls Fortuna Castle! I kidnapped them. I killed them! I killed Ezekiel's bastard son, too! I made sure the little prick suffered , too! Oh, yes, Credo…it's true…I found Kyrie in the castle, and I took advantage of her! What are you going to do? You're a little late at redeeming yourself now! What are you going to do? The damage is done and no one is going to come crawling back from the dead! So I ask you, Credo Eleison: What are you going to do? Are you going to arrest me? Fire me? What are you going to do?"

Credo shook his head, "You don't deserve to live." He snarled as he swung for Agnus, who barely dodged, knocking over several papers and various what-not's. Credo swung for him again, Agnus grabbed his arm and bent it back. You could hear the bone in Credo's arm breaking just as loud as you could hear someone munching on potato chips. Credo gasped in pain and cried out, his sword fell to the floor and clattered.

Agnus grabbed Credo's hair and slammed his face into the nearest wall. Things were getting dizzy and bloody for the young Vicar as his head was slammed against the wall once more. Agnus then began to drag Credo out, where the assistant doctor saw the wounded Credo and acted accordingly.

"Your Holiness? What are you doing to him, Agnus? Let him go!" He demanded, but Agnus had no time for him and grabbed the nearest object he could find, a scalpel, to be exact, and shoved it upwards through the assistant doctor's jaw. He slumped dead to the ground. Credo was a little dizzy, but he could still make out what had happened.

He tried to cry out as he was being dragged through Headquarters, but no one seemed to notice. No one seemed to care. Soon Credo was dragged to the room beyond the meeting room. A room with a stone bed. Agnus threw him onto it and began to strap him down. With his non-broken arm, Credo grabbed Agnus by his jacket, he stared him in the eye.

"You…you killed my father." He mumbled, recalling the journal Kyrie had left him.

Agnus brushed Credo off and finished strapping him down, he smiled, "No, Credo." He said, "You killed your father, it was all you. And you know it." He began to laugh as he left the room. That was when the pain began to flow through Credo's body, he started screaming in agony.

The screaming was heard by just about everyone. Kyrie, Lady, and Aaron looked around, startled by the sound. Lady looked at Aaron, suggesting that he knew what was going on.

"The Ascension Ceremony." Aaron said quietly. "It's the Vicar…"

Kyrie covered her mouth in terror, Lady grabbed Aaron, "What the hell is the Ascension Ceremony? What are they doing to Credo?"

"What they did to me." Aaron replied quietly. He shook himself out of Lady's grip, "I'm going to go find him, you should take care of her; you're her only hope now."

"Where are my weapons?" Lady demanded, "My rocket launcher, and my shotgun, and my other guns."

"In the confiscation room, a few rooms down this hall. Make sure she's not captured, I'm going now!" Aaron yelled, leaving the two of them.

Lady turned to Kyrie, "I'm going to get my stuff back, you stay here, I'll be right back." Lady said, running off. Kyrie stood there in stunned silence. What was going to happen to Credo? What was going to happen to her? What was even going on?

As she wondered to herself, she noticed General Acario running into the hall, he paused when he saw Kyrie, who stiffened as he began walking toward her. "Hey there…" he said, "I was just thinking about you, delivery girl. Agnus told me, to tell you, that he wanted to see you in his room, and I think we both know that it's best to not keep the doctor waiting, right?"

Kyrie shook her head and grabbed her violin case, Acario stormed over to her, but Kyrie opened the case and pulled out the Blue Rose and aimed at him. Acario took a step back, but he began to smile, "Come now, delivery girl, we both know you're not going to shoot me."

**HE WAS WRONG  
He took one step toward her.  
She pulled the trigger.**

Acario's side was bleeding as he fell to his knees. He looked up at Kyrie, who ran past him. Acario wasn't going to let her get away.

Kyrie tried to find Lady, but several knights blocked her path. Several tried to grab her. She barely got out of the way of those large, grasping hands, and managed to run away. She didn't know where she was supposed to go. She couldn't leave Lady behind, but at the same time, she couldn't stay here. It was a death trap to try and stay here.

Her best choice was to get out of Headquarters, it was the only thing she could think to do. It was far away, and there were plenty more hiding places there. Plus, there was Alastor and Ifrit. They would protect her, right? They would show up and save her, right? They had to, they were her last hope.

"DELIVERY GIRL!" Screamed a taunting Acario, who was not too far from her, she could hear him so clearly, but she could not look back, she refused to look back and see how close he was, which was pretty close, if you ask me. Acario could have caught her so easily.

But he didn't.

Someone else got there before him.

Kyrie would have screamed if she had a voice as someone grabbed her. They were large hands. They frightened her as she closed her eyes and continued to struggle. She pulled against him, he pulled back, she felt one hand release her and brush lightly against her cheek, a hushing sound came from him, trying to calm her down. Slowly, very slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at the one who had grabbed her.

"Y-you!" Acario screamed, "You're supposed to be dead!"

"…Dead? Don't you know? You can't kill a devil so easily!"

Dante pulled his gun out and aimed at Acario, "And for the record…her name isn't 'delivery girl'," He shot Acario in the chest, sending him to the floor, "it's Choirgirl."

"Dante!" Lady called, approaching the two of them. Kyrie hugged Dante tightly, sobbing silently, he gently stroked her head. Lady took in a sigh of relief, "I left her alone for one second, the next thing I know, she's getting chased by everyone. Why do you think they're after her?"

Dante shrugged, "It must have something to do with…you know…him."

"Dante…We have to get her out of here…"

"You do that…those knights ran off with His Holiness'…girlfriend. I'm going to get them."

"…I think Agnus already killed Credo." Lady said mournfully, "We heard him screaming. Aaron said something about an Ascension Ceremony. I think it's too late for him."

Kyrie heard these words, and grief flooded her. Was it her fault that Credo did such a foolish thing? It was because she had given into Agnus' taunts…comparing Nero to Gloria. Telling her…to make Credo suffer like she had. It was a terrible thing for her to do, and because of it, Credo threw everything away…and now…he was gone.

Dante was gently rubbing her back, wondering what to do with her when this whole mess was over. Maybe take her home with him and Lady. To Limbo City. Then what?

Regardless, Dante let go of Kyrie and Lady gently grabbed her hand. They were about to leave the area, when the door closed on them. They tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"The doctor…said to not let her out…"

Dante turned to see Acario rising to his feet, smirking wickedly. He opened his coat to reveal his healed wounds, "The doctor…wants to keep them alive…as well as the Son of Sparda. He wants to keep you alive…the other two don't mean shit to him. We've all been waiting to kill Gloria. And Credo? He might live…but he's not the Credo you'll remember…"

"What are you doing to him?" Lady yelled angrily, "What is the Ascension Ceremony?"

To this, Acario smiled, baring his teeth in an insane grin. "The Ascension Ceremony…is when we…weak humans…are given the chance to become something far more. To truly give us power over the Damned….we become…the Divine!" As he spoke, his body began to glow, wings spread from his back as feathers scattered around the area. Acario was now…something monstrous.

Dante and Lady stared in shock, Acario was towering over them as he hovered in the air, staring down at them. He laughed maniacally. He screamed.

"I AM AN ANGEL!"

**WRONG**

**This was no angel  
This was nothing more than a monster.  
**

Along with Nero, I had seen true angels, and Acario was not one of them, and neither was Agnus, while I'm on the subject. However, I believe he knew that, I believe he simply made the soldier's angels, because he didn't want to tell them that they were becoming nothing more than demons.

The Ascension Ceremony was not a ceremony to make one an angel, how can you become an angel when you're simply being injected with souls of demons? Things just didn't work that way, and you'd expect people to know better. But Agnus was good at telling people lies.

Dante stood in front of Lady and Kyrie, quietly, he whispered for them to find a new route out of Headquarters. Lady nodded, and they began to run, Acario dove for them, but was greeted by Dante's fist, punching him away. Acario screamed and dove for Dante again. Dante wasted no time in changing to his demonic side to help himself fight this angel.

Kyrie watched it for a second, Lady was mesmerized as well. It was truly something terrifying to see.

**AN ODD QUESTION**

**What does it mean  
When a Devil and Angel fight  
And the Angel is the evil one?  
I'd assume that means Heavens pretty messed up.**

After a few seconds of watching, Lady and Kyrie finally forced themselves to move. There had to be another way out of Headquarters. Only…there really wasn't.

Credo was still in horrible pain when he finally felt the horrible shocking feeling stop. He opened his eyes, everything was blurry, he could barely see the person looking down in front of him. He rubbed his eyes, trying to force himself to see.

"Your Holiness?"

"Aaron White?"

"Yes sir."

Credo found himself able to sit up, though his body was in absolute pain as he struggled, he clutched at his throat and vomited on the ground. His insides felt like they had been set on fire, there was something wrong with him, something had been done, he noted immediately that his arm was no longer broken.

"…I stopped the Ceremony…it still…transformed you…but I don't think Dr. Dei…will be able to control you…"

"…What are you talking about?"

"…You've been Ascended, Your Holiness."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Credo nearly screamed, clutching at his body. He stood up temporarily, falling to his feet almost immediately. He was in agonizing pain, "What the hell did he do to me?"

"…You're…no longer human…" Aaron spoke weakly. "You've become…a demon. They call themselves Angels, but I know what they really are…"

"…I'm going to…kill him." Credo gasped, forcing himself up. "That bastard…Agnus."

"We all want to kill him, Your Holiness, but it's impossible! Not even…not even Nero could survive against him!"

"…I'll find a way then!" Credo yelled, forcing himself to move, regardless of his pain. Aaron ran to him and tried to stand in his way, but Credo merely pushed him aside.

"You're going to hurt yourself, Your Holiness,"

"…Why are you different from the others?" Credo asked.

"…I don't know, Your Holiness. I simply try to fight it. That's all."

Credo didn't respond, he continued out of the room, and slowly, painfully, he made his way to his office. E heard behind him, several knights yelling at him. Credo turned, fearing the worst, but as it turned out, they were simply ordinary knights.

"Your Holiness?" One asked, "What's going on? They were talking about overthrowing you!"

"…Is that what Agnus planned?"

"Dr. Dei?"

"…He's the one behind all this…find him…kill him, but make sure you eliminate the other knights trying to kill me, they….they're not human anymore…but…leave Aaron White alive…He's not with them"

The knights saluted, speaking in unison "Yes, Your Holiness!" Before running off, Credo found himself discouraged in the small amount of knights there were.

He made his way to his room, and slowly opened the door, where he was greeted with a raspy voice.

"Ah…Credo."

Credo looked at his desk in shock. He stared at the old man in his seat, smiling warmly at him, and all that Credo could muster, was : "You're dead!"

Ah yes…what a strange moment, walking to your desk to find the dead man you replaced sitting there, looking fine and dandy. Except Solomon Sanctus did not look that well. The first thing Credo saw was the disgusting scar over the eye that was shot. The eye was long gone, that was for sure.

"You were shot." Credo stammered.

Sanctus put his hands up and continued smiling, "No need to remind me, Credo. I know very well what happened."

"You're dead." Credo repeated.

"I most certainly am not. If I was dead, I wouldn't be standing here before you, now would I?"

"You couldn't have survived a damn hole being blown through your skull! You should be dead! I saw your body! They confirmed your death; you shouldn't even be here right now!"

Sanctus smiled and shook his head, "Credo, you're a little delusional right now. I've…heard the rumors about you…and I want to say, I'm here to take back my position now that I'm feeling better."

"…Feeling better?" Credo snarled, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? You're feeling better after a severe case of being DEAD?"

"Calm yourself, Credo." Sanctus said, "Everything will be fine…you just need to calm down."

"Fine…I'll be calm." Credo snapped, "Then while I'm here, why don't you tell me what really happened to Vicar Solemnis? Was he dead by illness…or poison?"

There was an air of silence between the two of them, then…laughter. From Sanctus. He pinched at his forehead as he laughed, then, he spoke, his raspy voice stabbed into Credo's ears, "What does it matter now? Every last Solemnis has died. I did kill Elias. But that was years ago. Here I thought you'd be more focused on the present."

"…Then do tell." Credo snapped.

"I stole the sword of Sparda. I had hoped to lure Dante here. Agnus waited here for him…but…everything didn't go exactly as planned. The bastard. By the way…I never thought you'd get so close to Gloria…I always thought you hated her, I guess a lot of things can go wrong."

"…What about Gloria? What does she have to do with this?"

"…She's lucky she has _anything_ to do with this. If it wasn't for the thought of your sister, that damn trespasser would have been dead on the spot. But I saw in her eyes…the eyes of a mother. And I thought about that brat, how you'd been waiting hands and feet on her, and decided to throw the little bitch a bone."

"…How dare you speak so ill of my sister!" Credo yelled.

"…I was surprised to hear she survived Fortuna Castle. No one I sent there lived. Never expected them to. But then again…she did have the Son of Sparda with her…"

"…The what?"

"Dante…the man you arrested,"

"…What?"

"..I honestly thought my plans had failed horribly, but you…Credo, you have made our plans work better than what we could have ever imagined! I never thought you'd capture him! I'm rather proud of you! Now…now we have everything we need….for the perfect Utopia…"

Credo didn't even look at Sanctus' wide eyes, he stared at his feet.

How horribly had he failed?

He had screwed everything up.

The Red Assassin, the one who he believed was trying to destroy Fortuna, was trying to save it this whole time. He was trying to protect the people from this man…this monster…

And yet…Credo had captured him, refused to listen to him, refused to let him go.

Credo took several steps back, his heart was racing, he had been a horrible person, to everyone.

It was all his fault.

He was the reason for this horrible state.

He looked up at Sanctus, his hands were trembling as he tried to ask about the bigger concern about this issue.

What about Agnus?

Before he could ask the question, the door opened quickly and with a swift swing, slammed into Credo and knocked him to the floor. And he heard his voice.

"Credo escaped the Ceremony! I thought I'd find him in here." Agnus said, sounding surprised, but casual about his predicament. Sanctus pointed behind the door, where Credo was lying. Agnus looked behind the door, and chuckled darkly, sending a shiver down Credo's spine. "You didn't really go far, now did you, Credo? Here I thought you'd be smart enough to leave. Then again, you are you father's son…absolute idiots…the both of you."

Credo stayed on the floor, mainly due to the fact that Agnus' foot was rather large and heavy as it pressed down on his back. He did not struggle. He may as well have been deserving of his fate.

But there was something about Credo that had been said about him many times. A true fact that had been spread as a rumor, yet he himself was not aware of…

He was too damn stubborn to just die.

So I can assure you…he wasn't going to give in.

However, at the moment, there were several other things going on, beyond the doors if His Holiness' room, there were plenty of fights going on, particularly, fights to the death. Some of them were knights, some of them were knights who had been ascended.

Swords swung at each other, stains of red were spread on white uniforms, staining in the shapes of beautiful roses, except these roses were nothing like what you would give or receive from a significant other. They were the roses of death.

Which side was winning, you ask? Well, to be fair, a human is only so durable.

As the war was waging, several ascended knights were standing at the doors, no one was allowed in, no one was allowed out.

But a set of doors would never keep out the one who was urging to get back in.

They stood there, still as statues, staring at the carnage, when the doors pushed forward with a loud _bang_, of course, the doors held, but the soldiers were quite shocked at the sudden movement. They looked at the doors and pressed their hands against them to keep the doors shut as the loud _bang_ occurred again, pushing them back a little bit, they looked at each other, then back to the door.

It was quite a sight as the doors flew open, sending the knights at guard sliding across the floor. They looked in marvel as the large, spectral fist disintegrated, and a shadow approached. Several fights stopped entirely as they watched a young man enter, his hands on his hips. He looked rather annoyed that he hadn't been allowed in.

Swords fell to the ground, some people scampered away in fear, Nero looked at the sight, and all over the hall, trying to figure out exactly what had happened, soon, the whole hall was empty, save for five knights, laying on the floor, surrounded by puddles of blood, their eyes staring beyond the sky, some sleeping.

One was breathing.

Nero ran over to him and held the man in his arms, he knew by the amount of blood he lost, he didn't have long. "What happened here?" Nero asked, "What's going on here?"

"…You're dead." Was his only reply, "Are we…in heaven…? Because…this sure feels like hell."

"What's happened?" Nero demanded angrily.

"…It was…a set up…Dr. Dei…wanted to kill Vicar Eleison. The others…they've…they're not…even human…something's…happened to them."

"…Where's Dr. Dei?"

"…He's always in his office…" Was the last thing Nero heard before the man's thread of life was finally cut. Nero gently set him down and closed his eyes. He looked around the empty hall. From the bloodstains all over the place, this was going to be much harder than he had expected.

"…Wait…" Nero whispered, mostly to himself, "Vicar Eleison? They mean…Credo?"

...maybe Nero disregarded the fact that Credo was in danger, because the one thing that was suddenly running through his head was the fact that Credo was His Holiness. His head was spinning, because if anything…Credo was not a gentle people person.

This job was horribly misplaced.


	17. Chapter 17

Through all the turmoil, you could say that Nero was confused, that he was even _beyond_ confused. Oh yes, that much was definitely true, regardless, it didn't stop Nero from running everywhere, looking everywhere, even ignoring some of the odd looks he was getting, just to make his way to the infirmary.

He knew where it was, of course, his head was rather hazy from all the sudden commotion, but he couldn't forget where the infirmary was, especially since he practically lived there when he was younger. After all, you don't just brush off so many wounds and a missing arm with a shrug and a pill.

He opened the door quickly, so fast it slammed against the wall, revealing the bloody mess that was probably once an assistant doctor. Nero didn't even want to touch him from the bloody wound that he saw. He looked around the area for anything, but there was no Kyrie, no Agnus, no one was even in the beds. With this in mind, Nero scoffed angrily and left the infirmary, determined to find out what had happened to Kyrie, where Agnus could be hiding.

As he walked out of the room and down another hall, something red and white blurred by him. It was so sudden that it even knocked Nero down in surprise. Following this came screams and loud crashes, gnashing teeth and clashing metal. Nero looked at the situation, hiding behind a wall as he did so, and saw an angel and a red demon lunging at each other angrily. He would have jumped in on the fight, if he knew what was going on, at least.

He'd seen devils plenty of times, especially when he looked in a mirror, but he'd never seen an angel, and he wasn't about to see what would happen if he jumped into a fight between the two species. There really wouldn't be a point in returning to Headquarters if he was just going to get killed off before he could even see Kyrie.

His right arm seemed to disagree as it tingled, the blue bat flew out of his arm, to Nero's surprise. He tried to catch it, but it lunged straight into the fight. With that, Nero's heart began to race, and in desperation, he ran away, hoping to not get killed in the little fight. He assumed that finding a mad man who could kill him off rather easily without a doubt was safer than staying back and getting involved in a fight that would probably only injure him at best.

One thing was to be noted.

Dante was sure that he was about to die. He had been reverted to his human form, his left side was bleeding, his head was spinning, he hadn't been too lucky these past few days, he realized. Acario sauntered over to him, smiling triumphantly as he gripped his sword and prepared for the final blow. Before that could happen, a bright blue light blinded him, causing him to stagger. Dante took this time to sweep his feet and knock the general over.

Dante wheezed and lifted himself up, "Thanks, Plasma." He gasped, looking at the bat, "Now take me to Alastor, he should be here if you're here."

Plasma would have nodded, but only turned and flew away, quickly catching up to Nero, who turned around to see the man in red. He stopped as he caught glimpse of the man, who seemed to be staring at him in awe.

They stood there, staring oddly at each other. Dante was rather shocked to see the Ghost of Fortuna, staring at him so incredulously. It wasn't the same, cold glare that he was usually greeted with, he was absolutely confused.

For Nero, he saw many things in this man in red. There were faint memories of him, smiling wryly, trying to hide the obvious pain he felt, tired eyes, disheveled hair, and an unlit cigarette dangling from the lips. "…Dad?" Nero mumbled, though Dante couldn't hear him, he looked at the white hair and thought of me. He thought of the cold look I would always have in my eyes, the cruel glare that stared into the eyes of the world.

No…Dante was no one he thought he knew. As Nero was about to ask him who he was, Dante fell slowly to his knees, breathing loudly. He couldn't even look the boy in the eye as he spoke mournfully:

"I failed you… I could have saved you. I'm…sorry…" He whispered, clutching the ground as he spoke. "…I don't even deserve your forgiveness."

Nero's eyes widened, and his head cocked back. Nothing this man said made sense to him at all. He looked around, making sure that he was the one being talked to, and not someone else. Sadly, Nero was the only person in the hallway. He looked back to the man, and shrugged, not really knowing what to say.

"…We all make mistakes…" He said. "…I forgive you?" Nero turned and looked down the hallway, he turned to leave, but slightly turned to the man, "I'm sorry, for a second I thought I knew you…but I was wrong…I need to find someone though." Was the last thing he said before turning and running off.

Dante sat there, looking up as Nero opened the door to another hallway and disappeared. He stood, baffled at the situation. Was he seeing things? Did he hallucinate that an ordinary soldier was in fact, the Ghost of Fortuna? Was he truly so desperate for forgiveness? That was my question.

Lest you forget that Credo was in quite a sticky mess as he lay on his back and looked at the floor of his office, he could see the opening to his room, where his bed had never been made; several papers were on the ground, from his research.

Credo's breathing was labored by the weight on his chest as he stared up into the cold eyes of the man who was responsible for this mess. Agnus stared at him carelessly, never even considering Credo as a true threat. Agnus looked at Sanctus, who was smiling.

"…Then you two…were in this together…the whole time…" Credo gasped, at which Agnus rolled his eyes.

"Does it really matter?" Sanctus said, "You really are like your father: nosy and irritating. He probably would have still been here today if he wasn't so damn nosy. I wouldn't have had needed Agnus to take action."

"…You…!" Credo gasped, "You sent him…to…kill…"

"Though I apologize about what happened to your mother, I just couldn't rein Agnus in that night." As this was spoken, Sanctus gave a chuckle that caused a shiver to run up Credo's spine, "Regardless, it'll be a shame to lose someone like you, Credo, you truly did have potential. Ah…but for the time being, Agnus…why don't you prepare for activation?"

Agnus sighed, but nodded as he lifted his foot off of Credo, giving him an angry sneer as he left the room; Credo realized that Agnus was probably unhappy that he wasn't able to kill Credo right there. I know he wanted to kill Credo, to kill the last man of the Eleison bloodline. Get rid of them for good.

I could never understand why he hated the Eleison's so much. Perhaps it was because of their happy family lifestyle (even though he knew it wasn't all that glamorous). Then again, maybe it was because of Katrina Eleison. Because he knew that Cecil's children were a part of her, and she was the sister to a woman who would never love him again.

**IN OTHER WORDS**

**Jealousy.**

Credo struggled to lift himself, now that the monster of a man was gone. Sanctus watched him, smiling curiously, as if wondering if Credo really thought he still had the energy to stand. "Do you…" Credo gasped. "Do you even know what…he did to my sister?"

"…Should I know…or care?" Sanctus replied, "I'm sure that whatever she got, she deserved. After all, nothing like a slap in the face to bring one back into reality."

"You don't even know…" Credo choked, he grabbed onto the nearest table, and leaned on it as he glared at Sanctus, "Or do you? Do you even care? Do I even _want_ to know what you let him get away with?"

"Agnus doesn't get enough praise for the great things he's done for this island. It hurts to hear you speak so ill of him. His genius helped us accomplish more than we ever imagined, it's only fair that I…let him stretch the rules just a little bit more."

"'Stretch' the rules? …He's been killing innocent people!"

"Innocent? Innocent, you say? There is no such thing as innocent in this world. Everyone is guilty of something. Do you really think Elijah was an innocent? Or better yet…" Sanctus grinned widely as he slowly approached Credo, "do you think _you_ are innocent? After all, you and Agnus are one in the same…_murderer_."

Far in the distance, Agnus stood in the center of his room, looking around, thinking to himself, wondering why he did the things he had done. Not in a remorseful way, Agnus never looked back on his actions with a thought of grief or regret. Though, there was one thing he was beginning to regret, he always knew that Sanctus was nothing more than a spotlight stealer. Why did he work so hard to revive him? Why did he bother?

Agnus walked over to his clothes closet, there were several of his uniforms hanging on one end of his closet, and on the other side were many lovely dresses. Slowly he ran his hands across them, breathing in their nostalgic scent. He stopped as his hand ran across a lovely white dress, he pulled the hanger and the dresser out of the closet and looked at the dress his wife wore on that day. He had gotten rid of his suit long ago, but he held on to every memory of her.

He examined the size of the dress. Had Kalina truly been so small? Perhaps so, after all, it was so many years ago. How long? Almost 30 years, at least, right? How old was Mary? He wasn't sure, he never really cared about how young or old she was. But he thought about one last thing he needed as he set the dress down on his bed, he smoothed it out. He closed his eyes and looked away, breaking his concentration from her. This was not a time for him to be nostalgic.

He found himself looking at his hutch, where the cane of Cecil Eleison sat. Kyrie had been looking at it on the day he fixed Acario's sword. He wondered what she must have thought about it, though he was more curious as to how Credo knew that he killed Cecil. He figured that Kyrie finally got through to him.

No matter. He was lagging; he had to prepare for activation. Activating _what_? You might be asking yourself, well. I can't say, it's more fun when you're surprised, isn't it? A mystery is never a mystery when you already know who the killer is, after all.

Two hands were clasped together as Lady and Kyrie ran through headquarters, Lady had her arm stretched out wherever they went, her finger on the trigger of her gun, aiming at everything in front of them. She brought Kyrie to her room. Immediately the choirgirl ran inside the closet and shut the door.

"Just hang on for a little bit longer, Kyrie," Lady mumbled, "We're going to get out of here, trust me." She ran out of the room, shooting everyone who came near her. Aaron held his hands up to his face as she prepared to shoot him next.

"Wait, wait, wait, it's me!" He called. Lady put her gun down and sighed. "Do you really have to just shoot like that? You could be killing innocents!"

Lady shook her head, "I'm not willing to take any chances at this point. I locked the door to the room."

"You know that won't stop them." Aaron mumbled; Lady nodded.

"But at least I won't have to be looking behind my back to make sure she's still there. It gives me the use of both hands, as well." Lady grabbed the rocket launcher from her back and aimed it at a crowd of knights, coming toward them.

"You'll destroy the hall…" Aaron warned.

"Only that half, we'll be fine." Lady snapped, pulling the trigger. The knights tried to run from it, but they couldn't outrun a missile as the hallway burst into flames, the ceiling caving in on them. Lady and Aaron turned around as the blast resonated. Kyrie in the closet felt the rumbling of the walls.

"That might stop them for a while. Lady said, looking at the collapsed corridor. "That should buy us some time to find another exit. Do you know where one is?"

Aaron shook his head, "I only know of the front door…unless."

"Unless what?"

"…The docking center. We can get her into a boat there. Make our way to Fortuna City."

As Lady listened to Aaron, she pulled her gun up at him; Aaron flinched and put his hands up. "Move, Aaron," She hissed. Aaron took a huge side step out of the way and saw behind him, Acario approaching from the other side of the corridor, the one that hadn't been collapsed.

Acario smiled, not even bothering to stop at the threat of a gun, "So…Aaron White, the little snitch, I always knew you were a cowardly little termite. Do you know what happens to termites? They get exterminated."

"Yeah?" Lady snapped, "Well pigs get slaughtered."

"…Why bother? You know a gun won't kill me."

"Don't use your rocket launcher," Aaron whispered, "If you do, we'll be trapped in here"

"You know, this can be non-violent." Acario said calmly, "All you have to do is hand over the little brat, and I promise I'll leave you both alone."

"You're not going to lay a finger on her!" Lady snapped, taking a step towards Acario. Aaron stepped in front of her, causing Lady to stagger back. "What are you doing?"

"I'll take care of him…after all…we're one in the same, aren't we, Acario?"

Acario laughed hysterically, "One in the SAME? You're NOTHING, White! Not compared to me. It'd be better to compare you with a termite!"

"Then what are you waiting for?" Aaron growled. "Go on, if you think that I'm nothing, then prove it."

Acario was rather amused by Aaron's act of bravery, he smirked, and grabbed Aaron's throat, smiling his insane smile, "You're an idiot, White. Just wait until the doctor finds out what you've been up to."

Lady looked behind her, the rubble had formed a hole in the ceiling, to the next floor up, she quickly ran up to the hole and jumped onto the ledge, slowly lifting herself up. She would have looked back to Aaron, to check if he was okay, if not for the person waiting for her at the ledge.

"Hello, Mary Ann." Agnus mumbled, grabbing her arm and lifting her off the ledge, throwing her to the ground. "You're just the person I wanted to see." Slowly, he walked toward her, Lady lifted herself up as quickly as she could, grabbing her gun. Before she could fire, Agnus grabbed her arm and twisted it back, glaring at her. With his other hand, he grabbed her throat. "Relax…I just need you to sleep right now. I'm not going to kill you. Not yet, at least."

Lady coughed, she choked, trying to push the man off of her, Her eyes were losing focus, her heart was racing, she tried kicking him. There was no effect, her legs flailed, never hitting their target.

"If you stop thrashing, it'll be a lot easier!" Agnus roared, squeezing her neck tighter.

Lady gasped for air, her mind thinking as fast as it could. There was one desperate idea. Absurd, perhaps, maybe even childish, but at this point, everything was worth a shot.

She spat. It hit Agnus clear in his eye, the one not protected by a monocle. He flinched, and to Lady's luck, he released her. He was rubbing at his eye as Lady scrambled to her feet and ran off, looking behind her, wondering if it was safe to leave her alone with Agnus and Acario both trying to get her.

Was it alright for her to leave the girl alone? Maybe not, but when you realize that your head is on the line, you often become obsessed with saving yourself first. It's selfish, but it's humanity.

Dante may have been a bit dazed, maybe he was in a bit of shock, recovering from some injuries, even. He was walking sluggishly through the halls of Headquarters, holding his head, wishing at that very moment for some aspirin. His head was throbbing, spinning, ringing. He wasn't thinking very straight, he probably wasn't even aware of the situation he was in.

Several knights ram at him, swords drawn, Dante didn't even lift a finger, he stood there, staring into their eyes. He did not move, he didn't feel like it. He wasn't in the mood to fight. He was, in fact, more interested in getting something to drink.

Before the metal could dive into his flesh, there were several gunshots, the knights all fell to the ground as a hand grabbed Dante's shoulder. He half-heartedly turned around to look at them. They were a little bit shorter than him Spiky, jet black hair, pale white skin, and devilish violet eyes. His mouth was curved into a frown.

"…Al." Dante breathed, he looked behind the thunder devil to the other man, "Ifrit…You're here."

"I had a feeling you were in danger…" Alastor replied. "You look horrible, sir."

"I'm fine…" Dante replied wearily.

"Are you sure? Do we need to take you home?" Ifrit suggested.

"No, I'm fine."

"They were running at you…you didn't do anything." Alastor mumbled.

"I didn't want to do anything…"

"…Yeah, you definitely need to go home." Ifrit said, "I never thought it would come to this, but Dante, you need to rest." He grabbed Dante's wrist, but Dante pulled away.

"For the last god damn time. I'M FINE!" Dante yelled, the two devils took a step back. "I don't need to go home…I need to finish this job… need to kill that lunatic. If you guys see a large man, with a ponytail and a monocle, do what you want to him, but let me kill him. His name is Agnus."

"Agnus?" Alastor said, interrupting Dante, he looked to Ifrit, "Isn't that the guy Nero was talking about?"

Ifrit nodded. "Yeah, sorry Dante, someone else has dibs on him, it seems…"

Dante took in a deep breath, "Nero…you guys can see him, too?" He gasped.

"You know him?" Alastor commented, "He said he'd never heard of you. Is this the same Nero we're thinking of here?"

"…White hair, deformed claw? Girlfriend complex?" Dante said.

Ifrit's eyebrow raised, "So you do know him?"

"You guys can see him?"

"See him? Uhh…yeah we can see him. Why?" Alastor shrugged his shoulders, "Are we not supposed to see him?"

"He came here." Ifrit said, crossing his arms, "Looking for his girlfriend, some girl named 'Kitty' or something."

"You don't even know, do you?" Dante said, "…Nero…he's a ghost. He's dead! Only I can see him! Well, you guys can see him, but…he's a ghost! He was murdered! He…told me…to avenge his death."

"…What? Nero seemed pretty alive to us…" Alastor explained, "Is he a special kind of ghost? I grabbed onto him…He was pretty solid."

"He ate like a pig." Ifrit snapped, "This kid was very alive, Dante. I don't know what you're talking about…"

Dante wanted to argue, but something else came to mind, "His Holiness's girlfriend…"

"What?"

"…I need to find her. You two. Find Lady and the choirgirl and get them the hell out of here!" Dante demanded, "Right now…getting out of this mess is our top priority, we can argue about who's alive or dead later."

"…Alright." Alastor said, nodding, Ifrit shook his head.

"What do you mean by His Holiness's girlfriend?"

"…Not the Vicar I shot, the new one. He's…he's the choirgirl's brother, his girlfriend was arrested. I'm going to find her…"

"Alright then, do what you want…not like we can stop you…" Ifrit moaned, rubbing his head. Dante nodded, and turned to leave, he paused, and turned to the two devils.

"…It's about time you two got here. Two hours earlier wouldn't have been so bad, either."

"We'll keep that in mind, next time." Alastor said, nodding.

Dante left the area, the two devils looked at each other, and shrugged.

"You really think he's going to be okay?" Alastor said.

"Whatever happens, happens, Master doesn't like us interfering with his fights, anyway. I say, if he gets his ass kicked, he probably deserves it."

"That's not a very nice thing to say, after all, he is the one who unsealed us…"

"You DO recall that while we were sealed, we were protecting the Human World, right?"

"Never mind…let's just go find Lady and choirgirl…Oh…Nero's probably going to want to see her, too, should we find him?"

"Speaking of Nero, what was with the 'dead' bullcrap? I think Dante's taken one too many bullets to the head, at long last…"

"I don't know. Maybe…Maybe Nero was with them in the castle, but there was an incident that caused Dante to think he was dead, when he was really alive, and Nero just has amnesia, explaining why he can't recall meeting Dante!"

Ifrit shrugged, "Works for me, Let's go get that kid."

Nero had decided to look around in his own room, to see if he could find anything over there, the hallway was a mess, one end of the corridor was in shambles, which made Nero feel lucky that the area was rectangular, allowing him to walk around the other side of the corridor and find his room. Luckily it hadn't been caved in yet. Though there were some fresh blood stains on the walls that made him quite nervous.

"Nero!"

The boy turned around and saw the two devils walking in from the door from the stairs. "Al, Ifrit, what are you guys doing here? I thought you…left me?"

"Don't get all teary-eyed, kid." Ifrit snapped, "We didn't come here just because of you, we came here because there were other people here who needed our help."

"…People like me?" Nero said slyly, "Well, thanks and all, but I'm fine."

"You're not going to hunt down that Agnus guy, Nero." Alastor said sternly. Nero's mouth opened ion shock, but he quickly hid it. Not good enough, if you ask me.

"…I wasn't going to hunt him down."

"Then what were you going to do?" Ifrit asked.

"…I want to find Kyrie."

"Alright, if we find her, then find Lady, then we can just waltz on out of here." Alastor exclaimed, "Simple as pie…! What does that saying even mean?"

"…My room's right over there, I'm going to look around, and be right back," Nero said, jerking his thumb behind him, motioning to his door. The two devils nodded as Nero ran over to his room.

Kyrie was waiting in his closet, She had heard so many noises, her heart pounded against her ribcage as she heard Aaron and Acario fight, she worried for Lady, and wondered what happened to her. She hoped she escaped, but her fear rose as she heard voices close to the room. It only got worse as someone broke the door open, walked inside and began rummaging around.

Kyrie held her breath, listening to them wander around, shuffling through Nero's things, she wondered exactly what Nero had that they wanted so bad…unless of course…they were looking for her. She should have known that this idea was a bad one. Hiding in a closet was the dumbest thing to ever happen, and with Lady and Aaron long gone, things were just bad all around.

But it got worse. She leaned back just a little bit. There was a box behind her that shuffled from moving. The room fell silent, Kyrie's heart skipped as she heard footsteps coming for the closet. She tried to clutch her gun, but she couldn't see and didn't want to risk shooting herself in the foot.

The closet door swung open, and she was tossed to the bed, not too far away. A shadow hovered over her. Then…a voice.

"Kyrie…?"

What was she supposed to think? The voice soothed her almost immediately, but still left a pang in her heart. She opened her once closed eyes, and looked into the blue eyes of a boy who was dead. Nero stood over her, looking shocked, worried…

Was she dreaming? Or…maybe Agnus wasn't lying at all. Maybe her mind was finally gone. Then this was the manifestation of her desires, after so much hopelessness, Nero was there. Just one last time, as a parting gift from her mind. To give her one last chance to do what she had dreamt of for so many nights.

Kyrie lifted herself up. Nero took a step back. But why? No, he wasn't going to try and run, she wouldn't let him. She grasped his shoulders, feeling his leather jacket inbetween her fingers and grasping his skin as she forced him to her mouth and kissed him. She placed her hands on his face and ran a hand through his hair. She released herself and dragged him down. Nero complied quietly as he fell to the bed with her.

"Kyrie…what are you doing?" He mumbled. What was that supposed to mean? No, this was no time for questioning. Kyrie sat on top of him and kissed his neck, she unzipped his vest, ignoring as he whispered "stop". She ran her hands up his shirt and felt his warmth with her hands as they ran up his chest.

She pulled her hands out and looked at Nero, who was still looking shocked. Why was he so shocked? He should have been happy. She grabbed his left hand ("what are you doing?" Nero begged) and cupped it to her chest. Nero turned bright pink, he began to sweat, and pulled his hand away from her. He sat up.

"Kyrie…what are you doing?" He mumbled, shyly placing his hand on her cheek. She grabbed onto his arm. He wasn't supposed to be acting like this. Why wasn't he making his move? She realeased his hand and slid his jacket off his shoulders and began to unbutton the top of her dress. Nero shook his head, and snapped at her: "Stop it."

Kyrie looked at him, how he was trying to hide his worry with anger. Kyrie shook her head and tackled him down. She grabbed his pants and began to unbutton them. When he tried to protest, she kissed his lips, trying to quiet him down.

"Kyrie…please stop…" He mustered when she unlocked her lips from him. She unzipped his pants next and tried to pull them down, noticing the red hearts on his white underwear. "Kyrie…don't!" He yelled, she was getting tired of his irritation.

She sat on his chest and forced him to stay down. Just then, the door flew open, and a voice penetrated through Kyrie's mad imagination:

"Nero, you're taking- Oh!" The door slammed shut, but the voice was still heard from the other side, "Sorry about that!"

Kyrie could have sworn she had heard that voice before, she looked at the terrified Nero, and began to wonder if she was confusing her imagination with reality. Was this real? It couldn't be, Nero was dead, she had seen his body. She tried to speak…just one word.

Just one simple word…but it would not come. She was still mute.

There was one other thing she could do, though.

She slowly released Nero's pants and lied down on top of him, she could feel his chest moving up and down, she put her ear to his chest. Nero began to calm down, just a little bit.

She heard it.

Within him, it thumped.

Her proof? Perhaps so, even though Kyrie was not so sure about what was real and what was not. Still, she listened, the sound was soothing, and very, very real.

…What a heartbeat.


	18. Chapter 18

They lay there, Kyrie on top of Nero, only their soft breathing could be heard, no words were exchanged between them. Presence was all they needed at this moment, no words, no staring, just holding onto the other. That was all they needed in that moment, even though Nero had been oddly terrified of her for a second, never once trying to force her off in fear that he might hurt her. Tears came to Kyrie's face, they stained Nero's black shirt and soaked into his chest. Gently, he set his hand on her back.

"…Kyrie…" He mumbled. "…Why are you crying?"

How was she supposed to answer him? What was she going to do? All the questions she had for him, and none of them could be asked, none of them could be answered. Slowly she lifted her head up and stared at him, her face running with tears. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he sat up, he held onto her as well.

"I'm sorry…" He mumbled. "I didn't mean to be gone for so long. But I'm here now. I'm not going to leave you…I promise. I'm sorry for being gone…"

Kyrie must have been dead, that was the only explanation for it, really. The blast caved the closet in on her, and here she was, in some sort of heaven, or maybe even some kind of Purgatory, with Nero waiting for her on the other side. There simply was no other way around it. This was death. To Kyrie…it didn't seem so bad, after all, there was no pain to be had, no waiting in agony, and like a miracle, there was Nero.

Nero looked at the floor, at a small glinting metal. He stood up, placing Kyrie to the side of the bed as he picked up the gun on the ground and looked at her. Kyrie blinked a few times, looking from the gun, then back to Nero. "…You took this from Fortuna Castle? How did you ever survive…?" Nero trailed off; remembering what Alastor and Ifrit had told him about the blood on the front of Kyrie's dress. He looked at the ground. Kyrie stood up and walked over to Nero.

Slowly, she reached out, and grabbed his right hand. She took his palm and put his hand against her cheek, Nero did not move as Kyrie pressed his right hand, his sharp claws into her cheek. Nero's eyes widened and he pulled away the second he saw the blood. "Kyrie…what are you doing?"

Kyrie felt the warm blood gushing down her face; she felt the pain where two scratches bled from her cheek. But the pain and the blood were not what brought her to tears again. It was the fact that she was very much alive, that this was neither a dream nor the afterlife.

**WHAT IT MEANT**

**There was still danger.  
There were still people trying to capture her.  
That Agnus was still around.**

"Kyrie…?" Nero spoke softly; she shook her head, putting her hand up to her face, trying to rub the blood off. Nero gently held onto Kyrie's hand. "Why did you do that?" he asked, a simple question, really. Kyrie didn't answer. Nero didn't expect her to. Their hands intertwined together, and they leaned in for just one little kiss.

The door flew open, Ifrit glared at both of them as they pulled away in shock, their hands falling limp to their sides. Ifrit shook his head, "So this is what you two are doing while the area is falling to pieces? Keep your underwear on until _after_ this is over!"

Nero's eyes widened and Kyrie's face went red as she looked at the ground. Alastor then walked in, a horrified expression on his face. Not in the "oh no, there's danger" kind of horrified, mind you, but more in the horrified expression that couldn't believe the words that had come out of Ifrit's mouth.

"If!" He whispered, "Don't interfere with their private lives! It's not your business!"

"Al, does this _look_ like a place to get it on?" Ifrit snapped, not bothering to keep his voice down as he pointed out the room.

Alastor shrugged, "Well…that _is_ a bed, you know." He replied slyly, causing the fire devil to immediately put his hand to his face.

Nero found this as the perfect time to come in, "We…we weren't thinking of…'getting it on'…you know…so…no need to tell us to keep our underwear on." He looked at Kyrie and nodded, sounding rather sure of himself, even though he knew that Kyrie had a few plans that were a little less than holy on her mind.

Kyrie looked at the two devils that had saved her from the forest, even though she was regretting ever separating from them. She looked at Nero, then at Alastor. Immediately she ran over to the older male and wrapped her arms around him. Nero was a little baffled at this, but said nothing.

"Choirgirl…" Alastor cooed happily, wrapping his arms around her, he jumped back, though, after realizing she was crying. "…Sorry…I can't touch wet things…" he explained, taking another step back, "We brought your boyfriend here for you, though…I mean…he's not your boyfriend, but…"

Nero rolled his eyes and looked at his gun, opening the barrel to see how many shots he had left, he walked over to his clothes dresser and opened his sock drawer, looking for his bullets. Kyrie knew exactly what he was looking for, and brought out her violin case, opening it to reveal all the speed loaders.

Ifrit and Alastor's eye widened as Nero looked at the violin case, baffled. "You…" he spluttered. "You stole…I mean…"

"Well…if she was going to have a gun, she was going to need to reload it." Alastor said. "And…apparently a violin case was least suspicious."

Nero took the bullets and shoved them in his pockets, Ifrit spoke. "Listen, Nero, Kitty, you guys get out of here, Al and I are going to find Lady and get out of here as well. Dante's after His Holiness' girlfriend or something like that. He'll probably catch up soon as well."

Nero and Kyrie both nodded, Kyrie grabbing onto Nero's hand. Alastor and Ifrit both gave thumbs up before leaving the room. Nero held onto his gun, while Kyrie clutched her violin case. Their hands gripped each other, sweaty, nervous hands, much like a time from far back. Only back then the hands were nervous for a far more different reason than absolute fear and anticipation.

Their feet moved as one, running through the corridors, Kyrie's heart skipped like a rabbit. She was delighted, excited, happy to have finally found a way out of this hell. She figured that she'd ask Nero how he was even alive later, but now, all that mattered was the fact that she was free, that everything was beginning to turn out well. She hoped that the two devils, along with Dante, would finally destroy Agnus. It didn't hurt to dream, especially when it was so obviously going to come true. This was the end of everything.

Every nightmare.

Every terrified feeling.

Every somber song.

Every taunt, every smirk, every chuckle.

Agnus was over.

But even so...she still had her doubts...

Nero and Kyrie turned the next corner to the stairs, only to be greeted by a flock of feathers, like a bird somewhere was dying, but, the thing waiting to greet them was something far worse than they could have imagined at that moment, as the clanking of metal wrapped around the corridor, the lance the walking armor held was lowered, only inches from Nero's face as the two of them backed away slowly.

"Kyrie…" Nero whispered, "On the count of three. You make a run for it, and I'll hold this thing off, okay?"

The choirgirl nodded slowly, so as to not be detected by the armor. The eye openings glowing blue. It stopped moving, choosing instead to ignite its lance.

"There…" Nero whispered "That's three…"

Kyrie turned around, and the armor thrust its lance at the two of them—mainly Kyrie. Nero intercepted, his right arm pushing the lance away, his arm was in burning, searing pain, but he ignored it for the moment as he pulled out his own sword at the moving armor.

"…You're empty, aren't you?" He asked; his voice low and almost at a growl, "I wonder exactly how Agnus managed to get you all over here…"

Kyrie watched from behind a wall as Nero and the armored angel battled. Fortunately, Nero was a lot swifter than the heavy, clanking armor, giving Nero an advantage as he took the lance, and turned it on the armor, thrusting it into the torso and igniting it several times before ramming it into a wall.

The armor fell apart, and several white lights escaped from its prison and headed up to the sky.

Nero dusted off his hands triumphantly, "That wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be…" He mumbled to himself. He looked over to the wall, where Kyrie had been hiding, right around the corner, and walked over to her. She slowly came out to face him, still, somewhere in her heart she believed this was all just a crazy dream that she wasn't allowed to escape from, no matter how much she tried to hurt herself.

She looked around nervously, worried that there might be more armor, remembering them from Fortuna castle, where she had first seen tem pin Dante to a wall and nearly kill him. She was a little jumpy, paranoid. But could you truly blame her for something like that? After all…it wasn't like the memories of Fortuna Castle were just going to go away.

As Nero walked over to her, Kyrie wished that this dream would at least give her a voice again as she pointed behind Nero. He turned and saw a soldier, staring first at Nero, then at Kyrie, then back to Nero. He smirked, and seemed to lift off the ground, as a golden light surrounded him. Soon, armor grafted into his body, and his sword took on a larger, more menacing form. Nero bit his lip, and looked past the armored soldier, noting the door behind it. He nudged at Kyrie, gesturing over to the door.

Kyrie looked over the new armor, how it was a much more golden hue than all the other empty armors before it. How, above its horns, there seemed to be a halo, only barely complete, not yet a full circle. You could call that irony, or maybe it truly was fitting, as an "almost angel".

"Kyrie…"Nero whispered to her, "Get going, I'll hold this thing off as long as I can, okay? Just get out of here." He said, giving her a slight nudge again. He gently grasped her shoulder and faced her, his blue, determined eyes meeting her brown, sorrowful eyes, "Kyrie. I'll come back; I'll be right behind you. I promise."

_I promise_.

Well... Nero could promise as many times as he wished, but Kyrie wasn't going to believe it. That much showed in her blank expression. She was no longer a believer in promises. Too many of them had been broken for her. Too many people never came back for her when they said they would. No one ever kept a promise to her. She didn't want to leave him. If this was a dream, then the second she turned her back on Nero, he'd be gone…

The only person who kept coming back, no matter what, was Agnus. There was a sad feeling to that fact. A feeling that nearly pinned down her heart. The fact that Agnus was that person who kept coming back no matter how much she didn't want him around. It was a bad omen of sorts…

Besides, in the end, there was no reason to believe this promise…because this was all just a dream…a dream that was slowly becoming a nightmare…

Reluctantly, Kyrie ran over to the stairs, opening the door and climbing down the dark flight of stairs, her hand brushing on the icy cold—and often moist—walls. At the bottom, she could hear fighting, fighting she'd rather not be part of. That was, until she saw Aaron White's bloody body slam against the wall and fall limp at the bottom of the stairs.

She ran over to him, brushing blood soaked hair from his bruised and swollen eyes. He looked up at her and gave a small cry of pain. "Kyrie…" he moaned, "You were…supposed to stay in the room…!" Kyrie hushed him, placing her hand over his mouth. It wasn't like she could tell him she left because she was chasing a dream.

"There you are, Ms. Eleison…" Kyrie did not even flinch as she heard her name being called; she did not look at Acario. Instead, she looked over to the flight of stairs behind her.

Just a dream.

She expected no less from a dream to leave her hanging on to hope. Perhaps she truly had lost her mind. She continued to stare at the door at the top of the stairs, wondering if Nero was ever going to show up. She felt Acario grab her shoulder roughly and pull her up. She could hear Aaron crying out in protest.

"We wouldn't want to keep the doctor waiting now, would we?" Acario sneered, kicking Aaron in the stomach to keep him quiet. Kyrie shook her head as Acario brushed her bangs from her eyes. "Good girl…" He muttered. His breath stinging Kyrie's eyes.

"Kyrie! Don't listen to him..." Aaron groaned, earning another kick from Acario. Kyrie stood between them, trying to convince them both to stop. Acario smiled at her and grabbed her hand, dragging her away.

There was no struggle.

The choirgirl trudged along with Acario; she looked only at her feet. She heard no words from Acario or even Aaron White; their voices were only distant sounds to her.

She was being dragged to her death. To the doctor who was famous and cruel. She didn't want to think of how the future would play out for her.

Instead, she chose to think of him. Both in life…and even in the faint amount of death. He seemed to still linger on her. His steady, confused breath as they stood close together, his quickened heartbeat in the middle of the night, during a secret dance lesson. The smooth feeling of his pale white hair as she ran her fingers through it the very first time. She even remembered his terrified face as he confessed to her that he was afraid of himself, afraid of losing everything.

Memories were all she had to hold onto.

They were the only things that probably kept her _truly_ sane.

Acario opened a set of double doors, leading to a large hallway; Kyrie counted four doors in the room, wondering which door he would take her through. The light of the room was nearly blinding, Kyrie had to squint her eyes as she walked in, Acario patting her shoulder, to somehow assure here that everything was going to be okay.

"Kyrie!"

Oh yes…things were most _definitely_ going to be okay…

Kyrie's eyes widened, her heart skipped, she turned around, convinced that it was just a dream.

Just a cruel trick her mind was playing on her. There was no voice, there was no boy…

No. Nero was there, just as he had promised, and he was advancing on the two of them, quick. Both Acario and Aaron White wore matching faces of shock as he glared at Acario, who gripped Kyrie tighter, his nails digging into her flesh as she winced in pain.

Quickly, Acario turned into the hall, taking Kyrie with him, Nero following close behind, only to be stopped by several sets of armor, thrusting their lances at him. Acario's hysteric laughter echoed through the halls.

Kyrie was stumbling, looking at Nero from behind her shoulder, how desperate he looked as he constantly tried to push through the armors, to no avail. There were too many of them or him to take on at once.

"I thought that kid was _dead_!" Acario snapped angrily. Kyrie did not know how to respond, her head was spinning, she wanted to scream, to make things stop for five minutes, at least enough time for her to figure out what was real, and what wasn't.

Two stories up, a lady was still running looking at how much ammo she had left. Her heart was pounding as she looked behind herself, screaming as she rammed into a person. She fell down and quickly drew her gun on them. Her fist was shaking, sweat pouring from her head as she looked up at them.

"You look absolutely terrified." Agnus sneered, smiling wickedly down at her, "Now…you truly do look like your mother. Just as I remembered her from my sweetest memories…"

Lady tried to shoot him, but her hand was shaking too much. Her aim was off. The bullet missed its target.

"You really aren't so tough when you don't have your bodyguard with you." Agnus reminded her. Lady shook her head and lay on her back, confusing Agnus.

That was, until her heel cracked against his shin. Agnus buckled over, giving Lady the time to get back on her feet. She started running again, wondering when this wild goose chase would end.

That was when she saw two familiar figures running toward her. Alastor and Ifrit looked a little concerned for her well-being, looking at each other, then at Lady, how she was breathing heavily and dripping with sweat. She bent over a little bit as she reached them, gasping and choking and coughing, struggling to get air in her lungs.

And to make the whole thing even more strange, -Lady had seemed almost _relieved_ to see the two of them, there were no groans or mumbling or even a roll of the eye they were used to when they were in her presence.

"Lady?" Alastor said quietly, "Are you alright?"

"I'm perfect. Guys…when he gets here…let's take him. Three against one. He'll never make it."

"He? Who's he?" Alastor asked, looking to Ifrit, hoping that he would have some kind of answer, though Ifrit only shrugged, just as confused as Alastor at the moment. "He's coming any minute now…" Lady said, anticipating the moment Agnus Dei would come into sight.

And how he came. As if on cue.

When he made his presence known—standing here, no more than 15 feet away, arms crossed—he stared at Lady, then at the two, other, different men. He didn't seem all that surprised, more curious as to where they came from.

And Alastor and Ifrit?

What did they do?

How did they act?

**A REACTION OF PANIC**

**The two of them look at each other, eyes wide, then back at Agnus.  
Alastor's fingers are twitching.  
Ifrit's eyes twitch as well.**

Without warning, without even planning it out, the two of them turned around, grabbed Lady—one arm each—and ran as fast as they could, Lady was protesting the whole way. I snickered as one of Agnus' eyebrow raised, he didn't know if he should have been angered, or entertained.

The three of them had finally gotten away the two males were almost breathless due to their sudden shock. Lady couldn't have been anymore furious than if the two of them had walked into her shower.

"What was that? Don't tell me you knew that guy! Please don't tell me he scared you, or something!"

"It's nothing like that." Ifrit said, "We've never even seen the guy, it's just that he's—"

"Well, the thing is…" Alastor's eyes jumped around the place, trying to think of something to say."

"Back on—"

"Dante wanted us to get you out of here as fast as we could, and fighting isn't being very fast." Alastor looked at his companion, then back to Lady, nodding violently the whole time.

"You're hiding something." Lady snapped, "What's really going on here?"

Ifrit cringed, but Alastor shook his head, "I don't want to say anything about this. It's best that we keep moving on. We have to get the other two and get out before this situation gets worse."

Lady wanted to argue, but something told her it was something that should be left untouched. With the way Alastor and Ifrit were acting, how they seemed terrified, it brought up one important question. A question that Lady didn't think she'd want the answer to.

Just exactly _what_ was Agnus? What were his true motives?

And of course…what was it about him that caused two ancient devils to flee from him?

For Credo, the question was more focused on Sanctus. He sat across from the Vicar, trying not to look at his face, his scarred eye, his eyes jerked back and forth through the room, staring at the portaits on the wall, the items on the desk, the door that led to the bedroom.

Credo wasn't quite listening to Sanctus, though he knew he should have, he had some wise advice to give him. Like he always had. Credo's head was sweating as he tried to listen to the old man as he spoke. It only got more interesting as he went on about Credo's father.

"I'm not exactly sure how to describe your father's death, Credo. Aside from the fact that he had been snooping around just a little too much. He wanted to expose me…I couldn't allow that, so I asked Agnus about his project: The Ascension ceremony. Something he created in order to resurrect the dead.

"He told me that it had been unsuccessful with many of the risen coming back as grotesque monsters. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to get rid of Cecil, and Agnus highly agreed"

"So then," credo muttered, "how long has Agnus been doing all this? When did he start? Why did he start? Or better yet…why did you let him? What exactly was in it for you? What are you two even after?"

"It's taken so much effort…so many sacrifices for us to achieve our goal."

"And yet you preached on…and yet you…" Credo clenched his fists, glaring at Sanctus. He couldn't see straight for a moment. His anger was raising so much, so quickly. He felt he was going to snap any second now.

And he did.

He stood up, and he wiped that wicked smile from Sanctus' face.

With his fist.

They say that you should respect the elderly, for they are fragile; and their bones, brittle.

Credo figured it shouldn't count if the elderly were using you and even murdering the innocent people they so kindly preached to.

Credo would even say that he enjoyed watching Sanctus fall to the ground, with blood pouring from his lips.

But it wasn't enough.

Sanctus moaned, yelling at Credo, "Have you gone mad? Do you even know what you're doing?"

Credo pulled off the portrait of Vicar Solemnis from the wall, he faced Sanctus, who was trying to stand, and he rammed the portrait through him, the leather picture splitting apart beautifully in the sake of karma. Redo brought the picture and started hitting Sanctus repeatedly with the edges of the frame.

Credo took in a deep breath, tossing the ruined picture to the ground, the leather smiling, smirking, even as it looked at Sanctus, curled up in the fetal position as Credo stood over him triumphantly. "No…for the first time, I'm thinking straight." His words were breathless, they were gasped out. Yet still, his voice was like fire, burning Sanctus' old, wrinkled skin.

Credo turned to leave, but Sanctus wasn't done yet.

"You think you can save her? You think you can save _anyone_?"

Credo turned around, Sanctus tried to get away, but Credo grabbed him by the front of his robes, "Where's my sister? Where's Gloria?"

"Agnus wanted…to use Kyrie…to lure Dante in…apparently…according to him…they had relations…"

Credo dropped the old man, his words lingering in his head. Kyrie and the Red Assassin, having relations? Was that why Kyrie became so uptight after he had been captured?

The thought made Credo shudder, but he did not let up. He still had his job to do, he had to find Kyrie and Gloria, and get them to safety as fast as he could…

Down in the basement, just a floor above the prison, there was a wounded Gloria, holding herself together as tightly as she could as feet stamped against her body, breaking her skin and bleeding. She tried not to scream too much as she wondered if she was getting what she deserved.

Certainly she must have deserved it for deceiving the Eleison family for so long. For knowing so many things, and yet not daring to speak up and confess. Maybe if she had done that earlier, this all would have never happened. Maybe she would have been able to some good.

"Let her go."

That one voice caused all the kicking and laughing to stop. Footsteps got farther away as the knights ran off. Gloria stayed on the ground. She felt her warm blood across her skin, the feeling was gone as her torso was slowly lifted, cradled in rough, but gentle hands.

"…Gloria…right?"

Gloria looked at Dante and smiled. He stared at her, confused. "I'm going to help you…we're going to get out here…okay…?" He looked troubled, struggling for words, "I…don't think…Credo made it…" The man spoke, not making eye contact with Gloria. He noticed something on her thigh, something metal stuck on her. The shape of the Order. Slowly, he grabbed it, and felt that it was embedded in her flesh…

"…Pull it out…"Gloria said, "I'm out of the job, anyway."

Dante nodded, and pulled the object out of the woman's thigh as fast as he could, cringing as she screamed. He looked at the ends of the metal, four sharp spikes shoved into her flesh.

But why?

Dante noticed that when he pulled the object out, Gloria's skin color began to slowly change. He saw why the Order had this thing in her. He understood.

"My god…"

* * *

_**Eehh...tired. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Btw, go back and read credo beating up sanctus, but listen to "guiles theme" while doing so. I swear it popped into my head right as I started writing it down.**_

_**-TD**_


	19. Chapter 19

Nero was following Kyrie, he was shocked as he saw that Kyrie had walked off with that other knight, on the floor was a knight that he recognized as Aaron White. He was bleeding severely and struggling to lift himself, using the wall to support himself. Nero knelt down to him, Aaron's face was covered with horror.

"Are you okay?" Nero asked the knight. He knew for a fact that Aaron was one year older than him, but a lot weaker. Nero remembered that Aaron's twin brother, Asher went to Fortuna Castle as Nero's partner. He was lucky, he was killed by a swinging chandelier.

Aaron tried to back away from Nero, he gasped and gave a yell of fear. He crawled on the floor and tried to run away, but barely made it to the nearest door. Nero took a few steps towards him when Aaron swung his hands at him viciously, rolling off his stomach to his back. "Get away from me!" Aaron White yelled. "Get away! You're…you're not real! You're just…! You're one of his…experiments!"

To say that Nero found this insulting was an overstatement. His face fell into a dark scowl as he grabbed the other knight with his devil hand and lifted him to his feet. He stopped, though, and loosened his grip on Aaron's suit. Nero looked at the doors that Kyrie had left behind.

"Was that Acario?" Nero said, remembering the General from his more excruciating training sessions. Acario never really did like Nero, and was always trying to get the boy to quit. "What was he doing with Kyrie?"

Aaron took in a deep breath, still in shock that the young man in front of him was alive and well, "Acario is going to take her to the doctor. I tried to stop him, but…but he's a lot more powerful than me. I'm…just a grunt."

Nero let go of Aaron, but helped him to the ground. He looked over the bleeding wounds. Aaron shook his head, "How did you get out of there alive, Nero? I thought for sure that you were dead! How did you and Kyrie not see each other while she was in that castle? How…" the knight's questions were cut short with a grunt of pain. Aaron clutched his ribs. "Just…just go after Kyrie! She needs you. I'm sure she needs you right about now. If Agnus gets to her, it might be all over for her!"

Nero clenched his teeth as pure hatred boiled in his veins. "He won't touch her. I won't let him touch her. Ever again." Nero turned around and marched to the doors where Kyrie was only so far away from.

Before he could reach the door, there was the clank of armor. Suits of armors flew down to Nero and guarded the door, they pulled out their lances and revved them while they pointed at Nero. He glared at them as Aaron's breathing accelerated.

"This is the last thing I need." Nero spat angrily. As the suits of armor revved their lances, Nero ran head first into them, his arm was cocked back, ready to deliver the punch from hell.

So reckless, that Nero.

I remember him when he would be staring at the moon, his eyes looking beyond the stars, blood would be dripping from his swollen lips as he cursed at that dark blue sky. He would call my name, and promise to kill me. "I did it, Vergil." He said, "I've become a knight, just like all the others. I've become strong, just like you said. I hope you come back one day. Because when you do, you're going to feel my sword run through you. Just like you did to my father. And I'm going to watch you die. Right there. And you will remember my name. The very name that you gave me. Nero Solemnis."

I like that. I wished that I could have seen it. I'm sure that if he had ran at me with that single arm, with those big glasses, I would have stood there in shock as the boy i swore I killed came running at me. ready to kill me. I would have been very shocked, I'm sure of it. I would have been proud to see him fulfill his goal to kill me. Even if he hated me, I would be proud of him. Yes, I would have been proud. I know his father would have been proud, too.

Nero was very reckless, he wasn't going to give up. You could see that much in his eyes as he was punching angrily at those suits of armor. He was scratching at them, and pulling at their lances and tearing off their helmets in a rage. He looked at the door, the door where Kyrie had disappeared into. He tried to get closer to it, but the more Armors he destroyed, the farther away the door seemed to get, the less focused it became. He wasn't noticing that he was gasping, and salivating and bleeding. He paid no attention to his exhaustion. He only wanted to get to Kyrie, even if it killed him.

Aaron White was staring at Nero, he looked like he had gone rabid as the white angels held him back. Nero's arms were still reaching out forwards, like there was something far beyond his own life that had his attention. Aaron looked around and found a large chunk of rock on the floor. He picked it up and tossed it forcefully at the suits of armors. It hit one directly, but none of them seemed phased. They were too focused on the trespasser. There was nothing more. They would destroy the trespasser before they went after Aaron.

"Nero!" He yelled, his voice breaking, "Nero! Nero get out of there you idiot!" He screamed, picking up his sword and running at the armored creatures. He swung his sword at them, leaving hardly even a dent in them. He was yelling desperately for them to turn their attention to him. To let Nero go. Only one turned around while six others surrounded Nero and held him down. Aaron took a step back and stared at the armor as it pointed it's lance at him. The young knight held his sword out with trembling hands and sweating palms. His knees were shaking as he forced himself to step towards the armors. "Leave Nero alone..." He muttered. But the order didn't register. It only saw an enemy.

Nero was buried underneath all the armor, he stared at the floor. Kyrie was gone. She was gone. He had failed to save her. it was his fault. Nero held his hand out from under the suits of armor. He gasped for air and felt his lungs expand painfully. He couldn't breathe, he was being smothered by them. They didn't even use their lances to stake him. They were going to suffocate him.

He tried to breathe.

He gasped.

He saw the face of a lonely scientist glaring down at him, squeezing his throat. Laughing at him, mocking his pain. He remembered him shoving a scalpel through his hand when he refused to stand still, listening to his screams as he was cut open like a science project.

Nero clenched his teeth and curled his hands into fists. It was enough motivation for him to force himself up, he needed my help, even though he would never admit it. Regardless, I was always there to help him when he needed it. Aaron was still looking at the armor that was approaching him when a blue light broke through the many suits of armor suffocating Nero. They were all tossed up into the air by a large specter of a demon that held a sword in it's hands. Nero was standing on his feet, his eyes were glowing red and he held two swords in his hands. Quickly, the Devil-Knight tore through the suits of armor, destroying them all with just a swipe of the sword. Even the one that was approaching Aaron was destroyed. The blue light disappeared, and Nero heaved in a deep breath, falling to his knees. Aaron ran over to him, he held Nero up by his chest.

"Nero, Nero are you alright?" He begged. But Nero was too tired to respond. Aaron shook him. "Nero, Nero wake up! Nero! Hey!"

Nero forced his eyes open, he looked at the double doors in front of him and sighed heavily. He struggled to stand, Aaron was trailing behind him, "I...I think I'm going to okay. I'm more worried about Kyrie."

Aaron nodded, "What was that thing? That thing hovering over you? It looked like some kind of ghost! Nero? What was that thing? How...how did you make it out of Fortuna Castle? We all thought you were dead! Nero, Nero, please tell me...what...what happened to him? What happened to Asher?"

Nero had to stop and think, Asher was another knight who had gone with Nero to Fortuna Castle. He was the first out of a team of four to die. As far as Nero was concerned. He was the luckiest of them all.

"Asher was killed by a falling chandelier." He said, "He didn't make it. But...compared to what I saw. He was lucky. He didn't have to suffer."

Aaron let go of Nero. He thought about his brother, the brave, strong one. Dead by a falling chandelier. How was that supposed to be lucky? "Then what happened to the others? David...and...Isaac? Weren't they with you, too?"

"They died too. And you don't want to know how they died. I'm going after Kyrie, Aaron, you'd best get out of here."

"I can't leave, I have to protect His Holiness."

"Then go do that."

"His Holiness, and his family."

"I'm fine. I don't need your help. Not that you're much help anyways."

Nero took a step towards those doors and collapsed. He was too tired, he could barely breathe right. Aaron knelt down and kept Nero steady. Nero tried to shake him off, but he was feeling too weak to move. "Don't move, Nero." Aaron whispered, "You're hurt pretty bad. You can't fight Acario in this condition."

"Yes I can." Nero gasped, "I can fight fine, now let me go."

"Nero..."

"I said let me go!" Nero snapped.

"Hey! Kid!"

Both Nero and Aaron turned to see where the other voice had come from. Aaron stood up and drew his sword at the sight of the two devils he had seen in the Mitis Forest just barely a week ago. The devils dressed in orange and black. Behind them, Lady trailed behind. Aaron stood in front of Nero and held his sword up with shaky hands. "You...you s-stay away from him! I won't...I won't let you kill him, too!"

The one with pale skin bit his lip and looked at the other devil confusedly. The dark skinned one glared at Aaron, and grabbed the knight's sword, pulling it away and tossing it to the other side of the room. Aaron cried out, but still stood defensively in front of the weakened Nero.

"Aaron..." Nero said, "Calm down, they're friends of mine."

"They murdered knights! I saw them!"

"I don't care. Half of the knights of the order are possessed by something, they probably did us a favor!"

"What happened, Nero?" Alastor asked, taking note of the young man's exhaustion, but not getting any closer. Lady was staring at this kid with an incredulous expression. She heard them call him Nero, she saw the similarities between him and Dante. But she couldn't understand. Nero was supposed to be dead, wasn't he?

Nero forced himself up. Ifrit walked over to him, pushing Aaron away and helping him to stay steady. "I have to find Kyrie. She was taken away by Acario."

"He can't do that." Aaron said quickly, "He was hurt really bad by the Bianco Angelos. He can barely move. And Acario's too strong. He'll wipe him out in a second while he's in this state."

"Then I'll go." Ifrit said, he now pushed Nero to the side and walked over to the doors. Nero was quick to grab him from behind and give him a disapproving look.

Alastor shrugged, "If he's that great, then why don't we all go? If Choirgirl's in trouble, why not pitch in?"

Lady was silent, she was staring at Nero, at his arm. She saw the large red hand marks on his neck. "I...I think I'm going to go find Dante."

"Dante?" Nero said, recalling the name. Lady jumped as he turned to her, but she nodded and turned around. Aaron followed after her. "You're going too?"

Aaron looked at Nero, and at the two devils. He nodded, "She...needs an escort. I...think I know where he's at."

Lady nodded and walked off, Aaron tagging along with her.

"Be careful." Alastor said. "BE CAREFUL!" He called again, to make sure that he was heard.

Lady paused and stared at Alastor, she smiled and waved at him. "I'll be fine, Sparky."

The second they left, Alastor put his hands to his face and turned red, "She called me 'Sparky'."

"Alright, don't get too excited." Ifrit sighed. "We still have things to do. Nero. Do you need help? Standing, I mean?"

Nero shook his head, and limped towards the doors. "I'll be fine, let's just go."

"Typical response of you." Ifrit shook his head and grabbed Alastor by the collar of his shirt, "Come on, get a move on Al. God...this is my worst nightmare, surrounded by a bunch of lovesick idiots."

Below the feet of the three of them, Dante was staring at the new form of Gloria.

**GLORIA II**

**She had long blond hair.**

**Her skin was snow white.**

**And her resemblance to Dante's mother was flawless.**

"Trish." Dante gasped. Staring at her. Gloria stared back at him, and then looked away.

**TO SAVE CONFUSION**

**I will continue to call her Gloria.**

**Even though Dante knows her by this other name.**

**It's the least I can do for her, really.**

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Gloria sighed, still looking away from the man. Dante set her down and glowered at her. He was biting at his lip, causing some blood to drip down his chin. He fists clenched as he stormed around the small area, he kicked over a pedestal. Gloria lifted herself back up and turned away. Dante grabbed at his hair and took in a deep breath before looking back at her.

"What the hell is this?" He demanded. "This whole time, Trish? Gloria? Whatever your name is? You've been here this whole time and you never did anything? The whole time I was down there, you never said word one to your precious...general...whatever the hell that he is? Are you serious? What the hell is that about? You never told him...You know I didn't do it, Trish!"

"Of course I knew!" Gloria screamed back, turning swiftly to him, "But it didn't matter, because I had no proof! I couldn't go up there and say something like that without any proof! They would have arrested me, too! And besides, I didn't know what the hell was going through your mind when you showed up like that! When you came down and shot Vicar Sanctus in the head, I thought you had lost your mind and attacked him!"

"Oh, what. You think that old fart's innocent, too? Good god, Trish, this place has rubbed off on you and made you brain dead and devoid of any good judgment."

"I never said that, Dante. I never liked Sanctus, I was glad that you killed him, but I seriously thought you had been possessed by something. Why else would you show up here and shoot the most important guy in the head. In the middle of the town? Unless you were just trying to be stupid and showy, of course!"

"Being showy? I was trying to kill him for hours, but people kept on getting in my god damn way. Would you have preferred it if I blew a hole through The General, or you? Or Kyrie? Or any other soldier? Why didn't you do something when Kyrie returned to this place? When I sent her back here after I took her out of the castle, I was sure that someone would have helped her out, but apparently she went straight back to him."

"I tried!"

"Not hard enough! If you even tried at all! This whole mess would have been over with if you had helped her expose that man for the monster that he is!"

"You don't know what it was like, Dante. Have you been stuck in a room with him? He...he knows how to attack someone...without even lifting a single finger. He threatened to expose me and get rid of me. He's been trying to get rid of me. I couldn't fight him, Dante, the only thing I could do was try to stay alive. That was the only way of fighting back, Dante! I wasn't going to attack him head on, not with what he could do if I failed, Dante. I...had to do what I could to protect them. even if it meant staying in my place. I didn't want to see what he was capable of."

Dante took in a deep breath and covered his face up, he ruffled his hair in frustration. "...Trish."

"Don't call me that!" Gloria yelled, "That's not my name, not anymore!"

Dante looked at her, he blinked and looked at the ground, "Is that why you left?"

Gloria closed her eyes, then looked up, "I was so tired...of being nothing but a copy. I was tired of being compared to someone I knew I could never be. I was flawed. I wasn't perfect, I was just something created to look like something that I knew I could never be. I wanted to be free...to be something other than a fake. I wanted independence, my own life without you to remind me that I was just a doll. A flawed piece of shit that could never be great compared to the real thing.

"So...when I heard about Fortuna...I wanted to go there and make a new life for myself. Unfortunately, the Order of the Sword is quick and forceful against any demons that dare to walk into their territory, and I was captured and brought to Sanctus. He told them to keep me around, and change me so that I wouldn't draw any attention...to you, I'm guessing. Either that or they also knew that I was...you know. So they made me change my name and put some...spell on me to change my appearance and threw me at Credo and Kyrie.

"...At first I hated it. But I wasn't allowed to leave. Everyone hated me because I was an outsider. Especially Credo. The longer I was there, though, the more attached I became to them. Even though her brother was quiet most of the time he was around, I became close to Kyrie, and she told me a lot of things...a lot of things that I don't think she's ever told anyone. Did you know, Dante...that her dream was to get out of Fortuna? That she wanted to teach music? But the government of Fortuna all but forbids people from leaving this country. It's terrible. You can only leave the country once you complete ten years of training, and after that, you must leave to be a knight under disguise, and you still have to report to the Vicar every month. Otherwise they send people to find you."

Dante stared at her, horrified. For how long was she subjected to torture like that? Constantly being reminded of something that she wasn't. Feeling like a flawed being, while the real one she was made to be stood there, glowing in pride and gleaming snobbishly in the form of one single picture of his desk?

And he never thought about it. He never looked at that perfect picture of his perfect mother and thought about the woman made in her image, rotting from the inside because of it. He never considered the idea. He just let it sit there like it was any kind of object. It was harmless to him.

He should have known.

What more could he have done? Now he knew he couldn't take her back. He shouldn't force her to do something for him. It would only make things worse.

Dante finally spoke up, "So then, Gloria. What are you going to do now? Agnus already exposed you for a demon. And...they're all saying that Credo's dead..."

"He is NOT dead!"

Dante took a step back. "And what if he is?"

"He's not, Dante! I know he's not!"

"And if he's alive...? Do you think he'll forgive you for what you've done? For deceiving him and his sister? Do you think that's so forgivable that all you need to do is go out and buy some flowers and make everything all better?"

"God damn it, Dante, shut up!"

"Then what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to find him, Dante! I'm going to find him and bring him back, alive!"

"And what if he never trusts you again?"

"I don't care! Even if he hates me for the rest of his life, all I care about is making sure that he and his sister are both alive and well! I don't care if he hates me, or never wants to speak to me again, I just want...I just want him to make it! I want him to live through this! I want...I want to protect him, even if he hates me."

"Does he really mean that much to you? After all this? After all that he's done?"

"…I know…that Credo can be an idiot. But that doesn't matter. I'll always stay by his side, even when he stumbles, even though he can be an ignorant moron. I won't leave his side, I'll always be there to protect him."

"...So...in other words, you love him." Dante said.

Gloria closed her eyes. She wiped away tears from her face.

Dante sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair, frustrated with his situation. Still, he couldn't deny her the freedom she deserved. "Then go on after him...I can't stop you. And...Gloria...I hope that...for your sake, things can be forgiven."

Gloria began to walk away, she turned to Dante, "I hope so, too. But first...We all have to get out of this alive."

Gloria was almost out the door when Dante called her name again, she looked at him, curious.

"You know...that regal look suits you."

"...Thanks...your disheveled prisoner look isn't too shabby, either."

Dante smirked, he drew his sword and looked at his reflection. "I guess I do pull it off pretty well, don't I?"

His Holiness's bodyguard walked away, leaving Dante alone. He thought about the boy he had seen earlier. The Ghost of Fortuna. Was he really there? Had he returned for his revenge at long last? Maybe this was going to be it. Dante hoped that it would be it.

The Devil's thoughts were interrupted as another set of feet approached him from another door, and the lady and the kid from the prison room showed up. He waved to them with little enthusiasm. Lady looked around, she thought that she would see a body of some sort at least. "Where's Gloria? I thought you went to go get her?"

Dante nodded, "She left to go find her boyfriend. Who may or may not be dead."

"...His Holiness lives." Aaron said, "Both of them live. Sanctus and Eleison. They're both alive...and...they've both been ascended."

"What does that mean," Dante snapped, "What the hell are you talking about, kid? What do you mean they both live? I killed that old man!"

"And Agnus revived him. He...he used the ascension ceremony on him."

"What is that? You mean that ratty general...what happened to him happened to the old man? That's...that's...crazy! It's stupid? Why bring back an old geezer who barely has a month left of life? What the hell is that about?"

Aaron shrugged, "I suppose it's so that Sanctus can go back to his old job or some sort, I'm not sure why Agnus would do something like that. But...Credo's alive. But..."

"But what? He's become what the ratty general has become, too?"

"I...I'm not sure. He wasn't exposed for very long. I don't think he even elevated a new form or some sort! Not like the others. And he's not been reduced to legion, like most of the others."

"Legion?"

"...All those knights were promised power. The chance to become the divine. What they never knew was that Agnus tricked them into becoming his blind followers. Half of them couldn't tell their family members apart. They...lost all sense of independence. I...I fought it and...I think Acario did too, I think that's why we reacted to the ceremony so differently. But His Holiness...the younger His Holiness...he didn't seem to have any of those side effects. He might still just be a human. I'm not sure."

Dante scoffed and walked up to Aaron, he grabbed him by the shoulder. "Legion you say. Then how the hell do we know that you're even trustworthy, kid? You could become like the rest of them in any moment."

"Then...if that happens, you'll have to just kill me."

Lady turned to the young knight and stared at him incredulously, "Kill you? How can you say that so...how can you say something like that? This is your life on the line here!"

"I don't think it matters. I think that I already died. I might as well just be an empty shell."

"Aaron," Lady said, putting her hand on his shoulders and turning him towards her, away from Dante, "That's not true, you're going to be fine. Trust me."

Aaron looked at the floor. His confidence wasn't the best right there. You could tell by the way that sweat was dropping from his face. Aaron was honestly terrified about what was to come soon, after all that he had done, he was surprised that Agnus hadn't just come out of nowhere and gotten rid of him already.

Dante looked at the young knight, and looked at his guns. He thought of the message he had seen in Fortuna Castle not too long ago: Kill them, save them. Perhaps that was true with Aaron and the rest of the ascended knights as well. Dante picked his gun up from his holster and pointed it at the back of Aaron's head. Lady stared at him in horror. Aaron turned around and stared Dante in the eyes.

"You'll do it, then? You'll kill me right now?"

Dante's hands were trembling, the gun shook, loosing its aim. His finger rubbed against the trigger. he could hear Lady asking him not to do it. That he was just a kid. That Dante had no right to take his life. That he would be no different from Agnus.

I remember...so long ago. When I held a sword in the face of a young boy. He looked at me through those stupid, thick rimmed glasses, and asked me what I was doing. I told him that I was going to save him. I told him that he would be reunited with his father. I told him that his death would prevent the rise of a terrible evil. But I couldn't do it. My hand was trembling when I struck, and I missed my target. There was blood everywhere. And the screaming. God how he screamed. His blood was on my face as I watched him squirm. His arm was on the other side of the room and he was bleeding everywhere. My vision was getting blurry as I put the sword away and ran. I hoped that he would die of blood loss, if anything. I held my hands to my face as I shut the door to his home. I was horrified by what I had done. Killing his father was one thing, but killing his son was something I could not do.

So I ran away. As far away as I could go. Someone had seen me, and the blood on my face, and ran off in the direction of the house I had once called a home. People were screaming at me. They were throwing things at me and cursing me as I ran through the streets. No one tried to catch me, because they were afraid of me and what I would do. They didn't see that I was more terrified of them than they thought. All I hoped was that Nero was dead, and that I had stopped this vicious cycle from occurring. But now I realize that I only made it worse.

Dante put his gun down, he glared at Aaron with a look that could make an angel scream. "Get lost, kid." He snapped. "Don't come near us, or anyone associated with us. Don't go near Credo, Gloria, and especially not Kyrie. Just go. Leave this place, and if I see you, I will shoot you, and I will kill you. Now beat it." He growled, jerking his thumb behind him. Aaron stood there in shock, Dante grit his teeth, then bellowed, "BEAT IT, KID! OR I'LL SHOOT YOU RIGHT HERE!"

Aaron made no second thought that time. He ran off, far away. Lady and Dante stood there. Lady looked at Dante, and swiftly, she slapped him across the face.

"What the hell was that about?"

"...Don't you get it? He could have snapped at any minute and...become one of them."

"He's not very strong, Dante."

"Didn't you see what became of the others? He's one of them. He could have easily waited for us to have let down our guard. It would have been as simple as that. And better yet, what if it was Kyrie? What if it was just you, and your back was turned on him? It's best that he just leaves us before he caused us any trouble."

"Dante...why didn't you just shoot him, then?"

"...Could you?"

Two doors were shoved open as ascended knights drew out their swords and stared at the three devils approaching them. One of them being the missing Devil Knight. Acario was staring at the three of them, there was a slight limp to his walk and a bleeding cut on his cheek. He sneered at them angrily. "Don't bother with them, men." He called, and the knights drew out their swords, "The girl's gone. She retaliated on me. Brave little bitch, I'll give her that. But it doesn't matter. I'd suggest you run, kid. The doctor just went on after her."

Nero dropped his sword right there and rushed through the crowd of knights. When Alastor and Ifrit tried to follow after him, Acario's troops stood in their way as the Supreme General wagged his finger at the two of them. "I'd suggest not. It's best we let the kid see things for himself. Don't you think?" Acario turned around and watched as Nero ran down the halls. The boy was chasing after a terrifying trail of blood that led to the kitchen. a large room that had been torn into disarray. There were broken dishes all over the floor, glass lined the linoleum. Blood and water suggested a fall. There was a bent pipe next to a cabinet that had it's door torn off. Next to the door and the pipe was a boot, a small boot with a splotch of blood on it.

And then.

Next to that boot.

A violin.

Broken in half, barely held together by one string.

Nero stumbled to it, he fell on the floor, his knees were cut on the glass as he picked up the violin. His eyes were burning with tears. Holding the shambles of that violin to his chest, he began to sob.

He was too late.

He wasn't able to protect her.

Nero choked on his tears and let out a loud wail. It echoed through the hallway. As soon as Acario heard it, he let Alastor and Ifrit go through. They rushed to Nero's side. They saw him cradling a piece of wood and sobbing. He muttered unintelligible words. Just two words, over and over again. Each time more devastating than the next.

She's gone.

She's gone.

She's gone.

* * *

_I have returned at last! I'm so sorry about the long wait._


End file.
